


Who Has the Compatibility for Marriage?!

by Maya095



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Dorks, Drama, Family, Fluff, Funny, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:22:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23675323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maya095/pseuds/Maya095
Summary: Tsuna is forced to endure marriage proposal shenanigans. No pairings, just good old fashion second-hand embarrassment, and slap-stick humor. No mercy on Tsuna or his guardians. This is gonna be a multi-part story. Enjoy! I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! or it's characters.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story takes place after the end of the Manga. More back story will be explained as the story progresses.

Sawada Tsunayoshi stepped off a white jet, his brown hair tossed by the wind. His black suit jacket fluttered behind him almost like a cape. A young man with silver-gray hair, Gokudera Hayato stepped up next to him, looking out over the city with him. A small smile teased the brunette's lips as he gazed out over his childhood town.

"Tenth, the car is here," Gokudera said softly, his words carried away by a gust of wind.

The young Vongola Heir nodded in understanding before turning from the view of Namimori to the sleek black Lexus parked just twenty feet away, the rear passenger doors open for the two men. A pair tall of men wearing black sunglasses and black suits stood on each side by a door, holding it open and waiting for the pair to enter the vehicle. Their escorts' faces were stone still and their postures stiff as they surveyed their surroundings for threats. The pair entered the vehicle and soon they were driving down into the small town. It all looked the same, save for a few new shops and some small corporate buildings - most likely start-ups.

Sawada Tsunayoshi, also known as Vongola Tenth or Decimo, watched the little town as they drove through, his mind wandering to his childhood memories. His life had been so simple then, his worries and cares nonexistent as he ran through these old streets with his friends - now his Guardians. He smiled softly to himself as they passed Namimori Middle where he first met his Guardians and his first love, Sasagawa Kyoko, the younger sister of his Sun Guardian, Sasagawa Ryohei. He took off his jacket now, the warmth in the car becoming suffocating.

"You should keep your suit together, Tenth. We'll be pulling up soon," Gokudera chastised him gently.

Decimo shrugged him off and rolled up his sleeves, exposing his forearms. Tendons gently pushed against his skin as his muscles flexed with his movements. He removed his tie next and loosened the two top buttons of his orange dress shirt. Smooth tanned flesh peeked out and the young heir sighed in contentment. "It's fine, Gokudera," he said whilst laying his head back against his headrest. "My mom won't mind."

Gokudera smiled at his companion and shook his head in defeat. "Whatever you say, Boss."

Tsuna laughed at his friend's use of the word. "I'm sure she'll just be happy to see her only child, so relax. Me showing up a bit more casual won't kill anyone." Tsuna checked his watch, the black Rolex showing it was fifteen to eleven while his childhood friend grumbled unhappily. Tsuna chuckled again and put his head back once more, listening to the sounds of the city and the car with his eyes closed.

After a short twenty-minute ride through town, Tsuna heard Gokudera call his name. Lifting his head, he peeked out through the window glass and saw the simple nondescript house with the name 'Sawada' on a white plaque on the front wall. Smiling to himself in excitement, Tsuna wasted no time hopping out of the car and trotting to the front door. Gokudera was hot on his heels, his two other escorts immediately becoming anxious as they watched their boss run out of sight. Tsuna knocked on the door waiting for his mother to answer while Gokudera shooed away the drivers. When the door finally opened, a woman's squeal was heard and then there were arms thrown about the Tsuna's neck as his mother hugged him excitedly.

"Tsu-kun! Oh my God!" She pulled back and looked at him fully, a grin spreading and tears of happiness gathering in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to be home so soon?" She asked dabbing at her eyes.

Tsuna beamed at his mother. "I wanted to surprise you," he said while laughing in good nature. Beckoning to the pale-haired young man behind him, "remember Gokudera, Mom?"

Sawada Nana looked behind her son to his childhood friend. While his looks hadn't changed much in the last three years, the air about him certainly did. Gokudera Hayato had calmed down immensely and was beginning to show his growing maturity with each passing day. Nana broke into another grin and bowed respectfully.

"Oh my, Gokudera-kun! I almost didn't recognize you." Nana stepped back then and ushered the two men inside. "Come inside, I'll get some snacks. Tell me all about your time away, you two. I'm so excited to learn what you boys have been up to!" Her excited chatter followed them throughout the house as Nana led the way to the kitchen. Sitting at the table, the pair watched as Nana busied herself in the kitchen and they recounted a very mild version of their time studying in Italy.

After spending several hours visiting with Nana, Tsuna and Gokudera decided it was time to head back to the castle they were staying at while in Japan. Pulling away from the house, they waved goodbye when Tsuna's phone began to ring. He looked down at the caller ID, seeing the Ninth's name pop up.

"Hello, Grandpa!" Tsuna called happily into the receiver.

"Tsunayoshi, are you coming in yet?"

Tsuna nodded though he knew the elder couldn't see him. "Yes, I just left and am on my way right now. I should be there in about," he paused to check his watch," thirty minutes or so." Tsuna heard someone clapping their hands together once in excitement.

"Excellent! There's someone I want you to meet. They'll be joining us for dinner, so dress sharp."

Confused, the two younger men side-eyed each other in the back seat.

"Grandpa, who are we meeting?" Tsuna said carefully.

The old man chuckled through the speaker of the phone. "A friend of mine and his daughter. It's a bit of a more formal meeting. Don't forget your jacket," he said before hanging up abruptly.

"I don't like the sound of this, Tenth," Gokudera said watching the phone suspiciously.

Tsuna sighed and immediately began to fix up his appearance. He stared distractedly at a wrinkle on his sleeve before shrugging on his jacket. He was hoping this meeting was about building ties with yet another family and expanding their network for when Tsuna officially took over, but his predecessor's tone had him a bit on edge. The Ninth Vongola Boss, Nono or Grandpa as Tsuna so lovingly called him, only ever got such a tone when he was plotting something that would make Tsuna uncomfortable or horribly nervous.

When they pulled up, Nono was waiting at the front entrance leaning heavily on his cane. His age was certainly showing more now as the days grew closer for Tsuna to take up his mantle as Vongola Decimo. Tsuna and Gokudera immediately jumped out of the car and approached the elder to pay their respects.

"Grandpa," Tsuna greeted him warmly. Reaching forward he clasped the old man's hand in a strong grip and shaking it once. "Are you sure you should be out here alone?"

Gokudera bowed deeply to the current Vongola boss as the old man chuckled at Tsuna's worry. "Of course, it's fine, Tsunayoshi. Now, come inside and greet my friend." The old man turned with his arm out gesturing with a wave of his hand to the inside of the castle.

Tsuna gave his arm to his predecessor and allowed the old man to lean on him as they walked inside. Gokudera and the two suited men from the car followed behind. Tsuna spoke quietly to Nono as they walked towards the dining hall where they would be having their dinner with the mysterious guests.

When the men entered the room, Tsuna was surprised to see a small table meant to seat only four. The intimacy of it made him feel as though this meeting wasn't a formal affair and he swallowed thickly in apprehension. The Ninth had been bothering him for some time now about finding a life partner and he had a feeling this meeting had something to do with that. The Ninth had mentioned his friend had a daughter.

Oh, joy, Tsuna thought sarcastically.

Seated at the table where a middle-aged man and a pretty young woman no older than seventeen. They stood up as the group entered and bowed in respect. Tsuna merely dipped his head ever so slightly having been taught that as Decimo he would bow to no one, not even his friends. Kind of hard not to do, considering his upbringing, but he was learning. When they reached the table, Tsuna reached out and pulled out a chair for Nono helping him sit before seating himself opposite the young woman. She beamed at him and he returned a polite smile. He was already uncomfortable.

"So," Nono began with a wide smile. "Tsunayoshi, this is my affiliate Marcos Requel and his lovely young daughter, Rebecca." Nono gestured to the pair with a mischievous look in his eye.

Tsuna inwardly sighed.

"And this is my grandson and heir, Tsunayoshi." Nono continued, "he is to take my place this summer."

Marcos and Rebecca both looked at him in astonishment. Tsuna tried not to cringe at their open stares of wonder and instead continued to smile politely and took a sip of his water. The young woman, Rebecca, was blushing shyly at him and was clearly trying to be flirtatious in a weird way. She just kept looking at him and fluttering her eyelashes. Tsuna tried his hardest not to roll his eyes at her.

Nono continued to speak to his friend, watching the young heir and woman interact. Tsuna kept his distance while the young woman continued to flutter her lashes at Tsuna. Nono chuckled to himself at the look of discomfort on Decimo's face. "Tsuna, since our friends will be here for some time why don't you show Rebecca around town?"

Tsuna cringed deeply in his soul and stared at Nono with mild, and well hidden, disbelief. "Sure, Grandpa. I wouldn't mind at all." He hated being polite. He heard Gokudera cough to cover up a laugh from across the room and shot his friend a scathing look.

Rebecca didn't notice at all as her heart began to immediately flutter in excitement. She watched Decimo with wide eyes and smile, hoping to make a good impression on him. If all went alright, she might end up with a date before they leave or, even a kiss. She immediately lit up at the young Vongola when he locked eyes with her. She mistook his hard stare as interest.

Tsuna was cautious, to say the least. Rebecca was clearly planning something, her sudden spark of excitement making him stare at her. She blushed a darker shade of red as soon as their eyes met, and she began to act shy again.

"Um, Decimo, is there something on my face?" She asked much too innocently.

Great, he thought as Nono and Marcos turned their attention to him. Now they all thought he was interested. To throw them off he chuckled. "Actually, in your teeth," Tsuna responded with hidden glee as the girl immediately became embarrassed. Marcos took a long swig of water as Nono sighed at his heir. "Apologies," Tsuna continued sheepishly. "I didn't realize I was staring. I didn't want to point it out and accidentally embarrass the young lady."

Nono inwardly shook his head. Fixing Tsuna with a hard, concealed glare, Nono knew exactly what he was doing.

He was being rude, he knew, but he was not going down a romantic path with this young woman. No way in Hell. Tsuna took another drink of water when Gokudera approached, bowing lowly to the seated group.

"My sincerest apologies Nono, but I must ask for Decimo to return to his offices. There is a lot that must be done in preparation for the inheritance ceremony and the upcoming ball." Gokudera did well to mask his face with a look of sincere regret.

Nono nodded gently at the young man. "Of course, Hayato. What would my wayward grandson do without such a responsible Guardian? You are both excused." Tsuna nodded his head and rose from his seat. "Do not forget, we have a breakfast meeting as well, Tsunayoshi." Tsuna smiled at the old man.

"Of course, Grandpa. I will see you in the morning." Bowing to his elder, he followed Gokudera from the room. Once the door closed, he practically ran down the hall to his office on the other end of the castle. "Gokudera, I owe you big time!" He said enthusiastically to his white-haired friend.

Gokudera only shook his head. "Tenth, you should really consider getting a girlfriend. Maybe then they'll stop bothering you about it."

Tsuna sighed as he entered his office. Kicking his chair out he plopped into it and groaned. "If I did that, then they'll start bothering me about marriage, then I do that, and they'll bother about children. No matter what, I'll be bothered for one thing or another. It'll never end."

Gokudera smiled apologetically. "I guess that's true, but you will eventually need to settle down. A family is a necessity for you as the boss of Vongola."

Tsuna sunk deeper into his chair. "I know!" He whined. "Can you please give me a break at least?"

Gokudera blushed and nodded. "Sorry, Tenth."

Tsuna nodded at his friend. "So, what do I have to do, I know there's something I need to get down before tomorrow, but I forgot."

Gokudera chuckled at his friend. "Just finalize the guestlist for the party next month so we can send out invitations."

Tsuna nodded and opened his laptop. He would need to send the finalized list to Nono for approval before sending it to his secretary to start printing the invites and mailing them out.

"I do have to ask though," Gokudera said while refusing to make eye contact. "What did you think of her?"

Tsuna eyed his friend suspiciously. "Uhm, what?"

"Rebecca, did you like her? Find her pretty? Anything like that?" Gokudera swallowed nervously as Tsuna just stared at him.

Decimo immediately began to chortle. "Uh, she was pretty, but not my type. And she was playing shy, which was annoying. I could tell just by looking she has the intention of getting her claws in me one way or the other. So, to put it simply, I don't trust her."

Gokudera looked confused. "She looked normal to me." He walked over the heir's desk and sat down in a seat opposite him.

"She was way too excited when I said I would escort her. She went from shy and demure, to a cougar in under a second." Tsuna replied with a dark look in his eyes. "I hate conniving women. All they do is scheme; it doesn't matter who they hurt or throw away in the process as long as they get what they want in the end."

Gokudera nodded in understanding. He'd noticed the slight change as well, but from across the room, it was harder to discern the cause or reason. Leaning back, he thought about the discussion at the table when a thought occurred to him. "Tenth, you don't think she's trying to pull an 'Inoue'?"

Haruki Inoue was a girl that Tsuna had met in Italy during one of the studying sessions in the Academy library. She'd immediately become smitten with him - Tsuna was sure it was because he was the next in line for the position of Vongola Boss - and had made it her mission to get with him. She went so far as to crawl into his bed naked and try to sleep with him. She hoped she could guilt-trip Tsuna into marrying her after a sexual encounter and end up pregnant with his child and demand he marry her for the sake of her honor. Thanks to Mukuro's eavesdropping he was able come forward as a witness for Tsuna when he denied her, and she spread the rumor that Decimo had raped her.

Tsuna sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. "Let's hope that's not the case."

Gokudera sighed in return and agreed with his boss.


	2. Chapter 2

When Tsuna was finally able to peel open his eyes, the first thing he heard was a girly giggle on the other side of his door and the voices of a couple of his Guardians. He immediately groaned knowing it was Rebecca trying to get in his room. He could tell by the Guardians' tone of voice that she was beginning to grate on their nerves. Slowly, Tsuna rose from his bed and opened his door. He stood there in a comfortable V-neck tee and loose sweatpants, his hair was slightly disheveled though he ran his fingers through it, smoothing it further. Rebecca immediately burst into a smile and gave an overly chirpy hello to him, but she stopped short when she saw his face.

Sawada Tsunayoshi normally had patience that was so plentiful he made God look like a petulant child. Never once did he complain when being ordered around by the children or girls in his family and he certainly showed a tremendous amount of discipline and understanding even for the adult men in his life. But this girl, Rebecca Requel, had somehow managed to blow right through his endless patience and understanding and get right onto his last nerve. He glared at her from his open door with so much annoyance and barely controlled anger that she immediately went pale and stuttered through a whispered request to join her for breakfast.

"No," he said simply, catching her and his two Guardians off guard. "I'm having breakfast with Nono today. If you still wish for me to escort you today, then I request you to go about your morning and leave me until our lunchtime meeting." Even though he worded it as a request, it was obviously an order and she was expected to obey.

Not wanting to make the situation worse, the young woman gave a curt apology and practically ran away.

Tsuna heard a nervous chuckle from his Guardian on the right. "You know, you didn't need to be so harsh. Poor girl just wanted you to join her for a meal." Tsuna looked at the man, he was tall with pale hair and a strong jaw. He wore a black suit with a pale-yellow undershirt. The Sun Guardian, Sasagawa Ryohei looked at Tsuna with a wide grin. "Oh well, the ninth is waiting for you in his private dining room. Better hurry."

Tsuna sighed in defeat and turned away. Closing the door, he began to get ready for breakfast. He didn't feel like wearing his typical formal attire since it was just breakfast with Grandpa but wished to still be presentable. Deciding on a plain black v-neck tee shirt and dark blue jeans, he grabbed a light leather jacket and made his way from the room. Outside Ryohei was waiting with another of his Guardians.

A tall man with dark hair and a scar on his chin greeted Tsuna warmly with a careless laugh. The Rain Guardian, Yamamoto Takeshi was currently being scouted for the major leagues and was considered a prodigy swordsman. "Yo, Tsuna! How'd you sleep?"

Tsuna gave the man a sleepy smile. "I slept fine until she showed up."

Yamamoto laughed. "Ah, no worries, Tsuna. I'm sure she'll be gone before you know it."

Tsuna couldn't argue with such a good-natured response and felt his mood lift dramatically. Smiling at his Rain and Sun Guardians, he led the way to Nono's private dining room. There he saw the elder sitting alone at a small table by an open balcony. The table was still being set, so Tsuna quickly approached and sat opposite the old man.

"Grandpa," he greeted him warmly. "Sorry if I'm late. There was a disturbance I had to handle first."

The old man snorted, not looking him in the eye. "Oh, I'm aware, Tsunayoshi." Nono was being curt making Tsuna flinch in response.

"Did I go too far?" Tsuna asked gingerly, afraid of the response.

Nono laughed flatly. "Too far? That's a bit of an understatement, you know?" Nono suddenly faced Tsuna fully, a hard look in his eyes. "You were disrespectful, to say the least, and the poor young lady is now humiliated. Do you understand what this could do to my, no our, relationship with her father? I was hoping for a merger and he was willing for it until your tantrum this morning."

Tsuna tried hard not to outwardly groan. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I'll fix it, I promise."

"You better," Nono grumbled as the food was finally being served. "You will fix this, today."

Tsuna nodded his agreement, his cheeks going a light shade of red in embarrassment.

The rest of breakfast was uneventful with Nono only making some small talk in regards to the upcoming events being held by the family and soon Tsuna found himself making his way back to his room. He would have to change his clothes to something a bit more formal but still relaxed.

Entering his room, he decided on wearing worn jeans with sneakers, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket. He put on a simple watch with a black face and a black leather strap on his left wrist and grabbed a ring of keys. He'd take his black Dodge today. It wasn't flashy and it didn't stand out, compared to his other cars. He thought for a moment about wearing his Vongola gear but decided to just carry the ring set in his pocket. Better to have them on hand without putting them on display.

Leaving his room he found the young woman, Rebecca wearing obvious name brands; Gucci purse and heels, Vanderpump blouse and jacket, and Rockstar jeans. Her stiletto heels put the top of her head just under his chin. Her face was obstructed by gold Gucci sunglasses with bubble lenses and had a smile plastered on her face. Tsuna tried not to inwardly groan as her smile fell at his attire.

"You're wearing that?" She said with hardly concealed disgust.

Tsuna almost rolled his eyes. Almost. "Yes, I don't plan on standing out."

She scoffed. "You have the money to afford nice brands. I don't see a problem with spending a little money."

Tsuna could feel his agitation building but shoved it down. He looked at her coolly, "just because I have money doesn't mean I have to spend it. I can get clothes that are just as nice as the designer ones without spending a small fortune." He looked away from her and spoke to her as he walked towards the garage. "And plus, you're less likely to be bothered for money or mugged if you dress down."

Tsuna saw her visibly freeze for a moment and look down at herself from the corner of his eye. He could tell she was beginning to question her wardrobe but knew there was no time to change. Smiling quietly to himself over her slight discomfort he jangled his keys at her.

"We'll take one of my personal cars."

Rebecca wasn't sure what she was expecting. Sawada Tsunayoshi was a bit of an enigma in her mind. The man could dress up fantastically, but there he was in common clothes. She couldn't really complain. He looked good, like a bad boy from one of those American movies, but still, he almost looked homeless. It was off-putting. She half expected his car to match his attire, slightly ratty but clean and was shocked to see the sleek, black Dodge Charger sitting with its doors open. It was an economy class, but still nice with leather seats and chrome trimmings.

She watched as Tsuna slid in with all the grace of a ballet dancer and start the car. Damn, he looked good there too. She saw him looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to decide if she really wanted to get in or bail. She could see from the look in his eye that he expected her to turn tail and run. She took it as a challenge.

She went round to the passenger side and slid in. Closing the door, she looked at him with a smile. He grumbled something under his breath then closed his own door and locked his seat belt in place across his chest with her following suit. He put the car in reverse and they slowly made their way from the garage and onto public streets.

"We'll have to park just outside the limits. The traffic isn't worth where we're going."

She looked at him as he spoke. Damn, he was so. Freaking. Attractive. Rebecca could feel her mouth water at the thought of kissing him. Not wanting to give herself away, she looked back out the window.

"I don't mind. A little exercise never killed anyone," she smiled at his bewildered look. "What? Expected me to complain?"

Tsuna snorted a laugh and turned his eyes back to the road ahead. "Honestly, a little."

She laughed at him. "I may be spoiled, but I'm not that bad. My dad still taught me a thing or two about hard work." She saw him roll his eyes in the mirror. "It's true, my dad taught me the hard way how to take care of certain things myself. I know how to change a tire, fight, and I can even cook. Learning was far from fun, but it worked out in the end." She saw him give an appreciative nod.

"That's good. I would expect a young woman in this world to at least be able to defend herself. The rest is child's play, however, and I don't see the merit in them. You'll always have a guard or some other staff wherever you go."

She shrugged, "that may be true, but you never know what might happen in an emergency. After all, we're out here by ourselves."

His shoulders shook as he laughed at her. "Look out your side mirror. Three cars back."

She followed his instructions and saw a simple black car with government plates. She frowned. "Who's that?"

"Grandpa sent them." He shrugged when she looked at him incredulously. "You really expect them to let the sole heir outside alone?" He laughed again. "Never in a million years."

She huffed and sat back with her arms crossed. So much for being alone, she thought with a pout.

They wound up pulling into a mall parking structure and parking near the second floor. Tsuna hopped out of the driver's seat and went around to the passenger side to open the door for her. He was being a proper gentleman just like what his grandpa wanted. She smiled at him as she rose from her seat and he closed her door. She tried to grab onto his arm but he smoothly shook her off. She didn't give up, however, and he eventually relented. He tried not to let his discomfort show on his face as he finally let her clasp her fingers around his bicep. He saw her blush when she felt the smooth muscle of his arm under his shirt.

Holy Hell, she thought and grasped him more firmly. Dad, I need to marry this tank of a man. She smiled politely at him as he looked at her questioningly, her nails were slightly digging into his skin and she felt him shift his arm in discomfort. That only made her happier as she felt his muscles flex under her fingers. Oh damn, she thought.

To say Tsuna was uncomfortable was a striking understatement. He could feel her glee radiate from her like a wave as he tried to, once again, get her to release his arm. Her nails were grating against his skin through his jacket and he could almost swear he was bleeding. But Nono's words rang in his ears from that morning.

"You will be polite, gentlemanly, and you will treat that girl like some kind of princess. Understood?"

Tsuna coughed to get her attention as they approached a sweets shop. "Do you like Japanese sweets?" He asked as she looked on curiously. She still didn't let go of him. Ugh.

"I've never really had them. I like Italian sweets, they're more on the bitter side." She shrugged and started pulling him towards the door. "I don't mind checking it out."

Tsuna allowed himself to be led inside. The shop owner came out from the back and greeted them warmly, Tsuna returned the greeting with just as much warmth as his companion blatantly ignored the shop owner. He sighed and shrugged to the old man who laughed good-naturedly in return and waved off the disrespect.

She completely ignored the two men and pointed at a simple strawberry cake. "That looks good. Do you like these?"

Tsuna shrugged. "I'm not picky. I prefer simple cakes, but I'll eat anything."

The owner had heard their conversation and lit up. " Would you like to try some samples?"

Tsuna nodded, "If you could, please?" He asked politely and the owner immediately went into the back to grab the samples. The bell chimed then signaling the entrance of another customer. Tsuna ignored it and continued to chat with his companion when he heard a pair of feminine gasps. Turning he saw two young women openly gaping at him in shock.

"Huh? Sawada?" The darker haired female stared at him then smirked. "No way!"

Then it clicked. "Kurokawa-san?" He looked to her blonde companion and smiled broadly. "Kyoko-chan!" He exclaimed excitedly.

The young woman beamed at him in response. "Tsuna-kun! I didn't know you were back in town! How are you?"

Tsuna's grin grew. "I'm doing well, how are you, girls?"

Kyoko tilted her head towards her best friend. "We're doing well, just getting ready for college admission exams."

"Huh? Alread-"

"Hey, Sawada, who's she? Your girlfriend?" Kurokawa cut in making Tsuna trip on his words.

Rebecca still hadn't let go of his arm, unfortunately, and was smiling at the pair of young women with a polite yet insincere curve of her lips. Her smile became more confident though when Kurokawa had called her his girlfriend. Rebecca reached out and introduced herself while shaking hands with the two girls.

"Oh, this is the daughter of my Grandpa's friend. I'm showing her around town." Tsuna replied in a rush.

The two girls smiled knowingly and nodded in understanding.

"Well, since we're all here," Kyoko added with a blushing smile. "How about we all spend the day together? We can show you all of the new shops and buildings."

"Well, that's a shame," Rebecca cut in with a coy smile. "We have a tight schedule today, unfortunately. So, how about we go out another time?"

Tsuna knew what she was doing and wouldn't give her the chance. "Actually, we have the whole day. Why don't we hit that new mall after this? My mom was telling me there's a new restaurant that's got really good karaage."

"Only if you're treating, Sawada," Kurokawa said and crossed her arms with a triumphant look.

Kyoko looked exasperated while Tsuna only looked bemused as he readily agreed. "Alright, my treat."


	3. Chapter 3

Tsuna was not, in any way, used to things going so smoothly for himself. He watched the three women interact with mild apprehension. He had a sneaking suspicion that something was going to go wrong at any moment.

He was not disappointed.

Well, he was, just not by his instincts. He was disappointed by the entrance of the former Arcobaleno and current Vongola Family Hitman, Reborn.

“Hello, ladies. And Tsuna.” He’d added in the greeting to the young boss heir as an afterthought. Since the lifting of the curse, Reborn had found himself growing rapidly and already was an adult once more. He was eternally grateful he didn’t need to stay as an infant any longer.

“Oh, who is this, Tsuna?” Kyoko asked at a loss at the sight of the mysterious man in the black suit.

“Ah, that’s Reborn of course,” Tsuna responded with a smile.

Kyoko’s mouth fell open in shock. “No way!” She exclaimed while Reborn just tipped his hat at her.

Tsuna laughed at her disbelief making her blush. Kurokawa looked confused and so did Rebecca but both girls shrugged them off.

“So, Tsuna,” Reborn started with a mischievous look. “Which one of these lovely ladies is your date this time?” Tsuna almost choked while the three women blushed.

“Reborn!” Tsuna chastised. “I ran into Kyoko and Kurokawa by chance and I’m only Showing Rebecca around on Grandpa’s orders. There’s no dating going on here.”

Reborn sighed and gave his former student a disappointed look. “When do you plan on finding yourself a wife, Tsuna. Everyone is getting impatient.”

Tsuna’s red face darkened as he mumbled a response. “I’m only nineteen, leave me alone already.”

Reborn only shook his head.

Rebecca then decided to add her own opinion into the matter. “You know, he’s right,” she said leaning towards Tsuna while batting her eyelashes at him. “Not like you have to look far with me for company.”

Tsuna almost laughed in her face but decided to ignore her comment. Instead, he looked at Reborn in an almost bored fashion. “I don’t need a wife. I need to not be so annoyed all the time.”

His former tutor quirked a brow while Rebecca blushed at the insinuation. Chuckling, Reborn reproached his student. “Your legacy is important, more so than your wants. So hurry up and find a wife.”

Kurokawa groaned as Reborn continued on. “Leave the poor guy alone, at least unless he’s thirty and still living with his parents.” She laughed while Rebecca looked at her confused.

Reborn snorted and shrugged. “Fine.”

Tsuna was grateful for Kurokawa’s interference and smiled thankfully at her. She nodded back at him and took a bite of her cake. Reborn sat down next to Tsuna and snatched his cake before the young man could react. Tsuna made a disgruntled noise but didn’t bother fighting for it. Instead, the young heir leaned back in his seat and made faces behind the elder hitman’s back and made the girls laugh at his childish antics. Reborn turned a few times but didn't catch Tsuna in the act making the girls laugh even harder.

Sighing, Tsuna checks his watch absentmindedly. “Well, I think we’ve been here long enough.” He looked back at the group as they cleaned up after themselves. “What do you want to do next?”

“We can look around the new underground mall,” Kyoko said, smiling at Tsuna and he nodded at her.

Rebecca was glaring at Kyoko again and stood up with a huff. Reborn watched the blonde woman with intrigue as he stood from his seat to join the group as they left. Rebecca once again attached herself to Tsuna’s arm, much to his discomfort, and kept herself between him and the other women. Anytime Kyoko or Kurokawa tried speaking to him, she interjected with a rude, snide, or patronizing remark. Reborn could see Tsuna’s patience wearing thin when they entered the mall and he grabbed his arm and pulled him away. Making it a point to physically remove Rebecca from his arm and walked away with him.

“You looked like you needed a break,” Reborn said to Tsuna with an empathetic smile.

Tsuna responded with a tired sigh. “If it wasn’t for the Ninth asking me to, I wouldn’t be putting up with this.” He rubbed his eyes as he leaned against the wall, Reborn to his right and also leaning against the wall.

“You should consider making a move towards Kyoko while we’re here. Give her your arm and push Rebecca off. I’ll keep to your left and Kyoko can be on your right.”

Tsuna shook his head.

“What?” Reborn asked, confused. “Haven’t you dreamed of marrying her since you were fourteen?” Reborn watched as the three women stood looking in a window at some spring dresses and only Kyoko and Kurokawa were speaking. Rebecca was obviously ignoring the pair and glaring at the men through the reflection in the glass. Reborn waved at her with a sadistic grin making Tsuna choke on a laugh.

“For a long time, yes. But I’ve grown out of it. It’s obvious she’ll never see me as more than a friend, and I don’t think Ryohei would approve of a relationship between us.” He looked down at his feet at Reborn’s questioning look. “He wants to keep her out of the whole mafia thing, no matter what.”

Reborn nodded,” ah, makes sense. Ryohei has always been fiercely protective of his sister.”

“Yeah,” Tsuna said with a shrug. “No loss for me, to be honest. I don’t think she would do well in our world anyways. She’s too naive and kind. They’d eat her alive.”

Reborn readily agreed and patted his shoulder. “Still, you need to set boundaries with that girl. Doesn’t matter what the boss says, you shouldn’t be forcing yourself for a woman from some lowly family.”

“Grandpa wants a merger,” Tsuna said with a wry grin.

Reborn rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’ll help you out if she keeps acting up. Let’s go,” he said and walked back over to the girls.

Tsuna followed him, a little less weight on his shoulders. As soon as the men rejoined the group, Rebecca was back trying to attach herself once more to Tsuna’s arm. Reborn immediately stood between her and Tsuna and acted as the heir’s shield for the remainder of the day.

When it finally began to grow dark, Tsuna gave his goodbyes to his companions.

Reborn stopped him, “we’re not far from your car, why not give the ladies a ride home? My car is just around, I can take Rebecca back to her father.” Rebecca immediately began to voice her opposition but was shushed by Reborn as he pushed her away. “Don’t be too long, Timoteo wants you back before midnight.”

Tsuna felt he should decline, but the opportunity for some alone time with his friends was impossible to turn down. So he simply smiled and nodded at the older man and turned to the girls. “I parked in a garage a little ways down the road.”

The girls followed silently for a while until Kurokawa spoke up. “What is up with that girl? Rebecca? Why is she so obsessed with Sawada?”

Tsuna just shook his head and pressed the button on his keys for his car. A responding beep could be heard just inside the garage and he walked towards it. “She’s the daughter of a millionaire and she thinks it gives her the rights to anything she wants, including me.” He shook his head while Kurokawa grumbled in disbelief.

“So, she’s not your girlfriend?” Kyoko asked shyly.

Tsuna sighed and shook his head. “I don’t have a girlfriend. Grandpa wants me to, but I just can’t find a girl that doesn’t have ulterior motives. All the ones I’ve met are only interested in me because they think they’ll get something out of it. Money, power, etc.”

“What the? Sawada? You rich or something?” Kurokawa said with a laugh.

“Uh, yeah,” Tsuna said incredulously. He looked over his shoulder to give her a confused look and her mouth fell open. He snorted at her while Kyoko chuckled. “My grandpa runs an organization that operates similar to a witness protection program, except rich and powerful people pay us to protect them and their families. I’m meant to inherit the business this summer. There’s going to be a huge party and everything.”

Kurokawa was pretty sure her brain was about to explode. When they finally saw Tsuna’s car and a single button press opened all the doors, her heart stopped. “I thought you were kidding!” She shrieked then covered her mouth in embarrassment.

Tsuna made a sound somewhere between a snort, a choke, and a laugh. “Uhm, no. I found out about it when I was 14. That’s why Reborn was sent to me, to raise me to take over. I’m the sole heir to a multi-trillion empire.” He smoothly slid into the driver's seat and started the car as Kurokawa just stared at him, shell-shocked.

She turned to Kyoko, who wasn’t surprised in the least. “You knew?” She asked her smaller friend incredulously.

“Hm, oh, yeah? It was explained to me in our second year of middle school. Brother works for them too. It’s why they all went to Italy to study together.” Kyoko stood there with her finger on her chin as she thought over her next words carefully. “Brother, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Chrome, and Hibari-san are working under Tsuna-kun as advisors of sorts. Every generation that steps in brings in their own people.”

Tsuna was satisfied with her smooth lie and smiled at her making her blush. “Pretty much, but it’s not always like that. It depends on the one running the organization. Grandpa has a few from the last generation working under him.” It was a lie as well, but it was hard to give details without giving too much away.

Kurokawa looked at them suspiciously. “But why is it structured that way?”

Tsuna smiled at her, making her relax. “Every generation has a different set of ideas or goals and doing it this way prevents the older generation from overstepping and pushing their own agendas on the younger.” He shrugged at her tilting head. “It’s worked for over a hundred years.”

“Holy-! Seriously?!” Kurokawa snapped at him in shock. He only nodded at her gaping mouth.

“You should close that, you might catch flies,” Tsuna said jokingly.

Kurokawa snapped her mouth shut and walked over to the passenger side with Kyoko. “Why didn’t you ever tell anyone about it?”

Tsuna shrugged. “Wasn’t anyone’s business. And honestly, I didn’t want to do it.” He reached around and pushed the passenger seat forward. Kurokawa climbed into the back while Kyoko pushed the seat back and sat next to Tsuna. Kurokawa asked him again why and Tsuna gave a half-hearted laugh. “I was No Good Tsuna, remember? I didn’t think I could do it.” He gave them a sad smile as he pulled out of the garage. Now that it was evening, the streets were pretty empty.

“And now?” Kyoko asked, looking at him expectantly.

Tsuna gave her a wide, genuine grin. “I’m confident. I could do a lot of good with my grandpa’s platform. So, I’m pretty excited. Ah,” he said as he remembered. “There's a sort of party going on soon, would you girls like to attend?”

The girls looked at each other and Kurokawa crossed her arms. “What kind of party?”

“Formal wear, we’re literally calling it a ball.” Tsuna laughed as he leaned forward to look around a corner as he turned. “We’ll all be in suits and ties, there’ll be catering and weird old-timey orchestra music to dance to. Do either of you girls know how to Waltz?”

Both women looked at him as though he’d grown a second head. “No, Sawada, most normal people don’t.” Kurokawa’s tone was cutting, but curious.

“Ahh,” he said with a wry grin. “Sorry, Kurokawa-san. I forget people aren’t forced to learn formal dance styles with an old crone for an instructor that likes to smack you with a riding crop.” Both girls covered their mouths while Tsuna laughed at them. “I’m joking!” He exclaimed even though he was telling the truth. “I can teach you both, there’s still plenty of time for you to learn. Up for it?”

Both girls thought for a moment until Kyoko smiled at him from under her lashes. “I would love to, Tsuna-kun.” Tsuna thought his heart should be doing somersaults with that look, but realized he felt nothing. He really was well and truly over her and it made him slightly sad. He turned his attention back to the road while Kurokawa watched them both closely.

“I’ll go too,” Kurokawa said from the backseat. “But what should we wear?”

“Leave that to me,” Tsuna smiled at her from the rear-view mirror. “Just let me know your sizes and I’ll get the dresses bought and sent to you. If they need to be adjusted, my family has their own seamstress to fit it to you.”

“What the hell, ‘Little Prince’!” Kurokawa said with wide eyes. “Why don’t you buy me a Ferrari while you’re at it?”

Tsuna looked at her with bugged-eyes. “I mean, I could, but my spending would be questioned.” They all laughed while Kurokawa watched her friend begin to fawn over Tsuna.

She knew this was going to end badly for her poor friend.


	4. Chapter 4

Miura Haru was a long time friend of Tsuna’s and was well known to have been in love with him for a majority of their youth. He’d hardly returned the feeling, but being pursued by a pretty young woman had improved his confidence greatly. Even while being chased by girls in Italy, Tsuna had felt more genuine affection from Haru than from any other girl. So seeing her standing in front of him with short hair and a huge grin sent his heart skittering.

“Ah! Tsuna-san! I heard from Kyoko you were back. When were you planning on stopping by?” She asked him while placing her finger to her chin and tilting her head at him like a curious puppy. Her smile softened to a simple curve of her lips as she looked at him affectionately.

“Ah, well, I’ve been busy since I got back. Sorry for not reaching out,” Tsuna replied with a slight blush.

Haru shook her head. “Don’t apologize. I get being a big-time Mafia boss must be a lot of work.”

Tsuna smiled at her understanding and scratched the back of his head. “So, are you free right now? I have time to catch up if you do.” He glanced shyly at her and she laughed at him.

“Sorry, Tsuna-san, I actually have a date. But if you have time later in the week we can.”

_ A date?  _ Tsuna wondered with a slight pang of jealousy. “Oh, I see. Sorry to bother.” He was about to turn away when he remembered the ball. “Oh, Haru!” He called out to her to make her turn to face him once more. “There’s a ball being thrown in my honor prior to the inheritance ceremony, would you like to come?”

Haru thought for all of a second before breaking out into another wide grin. “I would love to! Here,” she said, handing him her phone. “Give me your number and I’ll text you later for the details.”

Tsuna gratefully did just that and waved as she went on her way. His jealousy momentarily forgotten, he returned to his initial task at hand. Kyoko had called him out, saying she needed to speak with him about something. He was meeting her at a small diner on the other side of town and needed to hurry to make it on time. He was so shocked by Haru’s appearance he had almost completely forgotten. It was a good thing she was busy.

While walking quickly down the road, his thoughts kept going to Haru. It wasn’t far-fetched to think she might have moved on after his almost four-year absence. But, as he looked inside, he realized he was slightly hurt. He hadn’t really developed feelings for her in his time away, but he almost felt as though she might always be chasing him. He realized he may have actually been looking forward to it. Her genuine way of expressing her feelings for him was a breath of fresh air compared to the suffocating forced affection he received from other women.

Taking a deep breath, he paused for a moment and looked at the sky full of puffy white clouds. He should have expected Haru to be over him already. He was over Kyoko after all, so why wouldn’t she move on? He took a few more deep breaths and closed his eyes as the crowds slowly drifted past him. He let his jealousy and disappointment wash away and when he opened his eyes again, he was lighter. He smiled to himself as he began walking again, still looking up. He would be happy for Haru. She was his friend first and foremost and he would treasure her regardless of how she felt for him.

He spotted the diner just ahead and quickened his pace once more. Rushing inside right on time, he caught sight of the petite young woman sitting in a small booth in the far corner. She looked up at the sound of the bell and saw him walking towards her. She stood and greeted him, the two bowing slightly to each other. They sat then, Kyoko fidgeting with a slight blush on her cheeks.

“So, you wanted to talk about something?” Tsuna questioned her. He saw her take a deep breath before looking at him. Her blush exploded as he smiled at her warmly.

Kyoko was sure her heart was about to explode. Tsuna was no longer the scrawny, timid boy she once knew. He was easily just under 180 centimeters (6 feet) and was built like a tank. Pure, lithe muscle lined his arms, his shoulders were wide, his jaw stronger than she remembered and his style was no longer baggy. His long legs were clad in tight, but not too tight, dark jeans and his orange long sleeve shirt hung snugly to his chest and torso. He was no boy, no now he was a man.

She swallowed and tucked some stray hairs behind her ear. “I was worried about the ball, to be honest,” she took a chance to glance at him as he leaned back. She saw his shirt cling to him tighter showing he was at least thicker in the middle than before. She wondered what he would look like shirtless.

“What exactly are you worried about?” He questioned. His arm was slung back over the chair next to him, his hand hanging down with his forefinger and middle rubbing against one another. A nervous habit he had developed in Italy.

“Well,” she started and looked at his fingers. The movement helped her calm down as she had something to focus on that wasn’t his face. “I’m not sure how to act. I don’t want to embarrass you.”

Tsuna thought for a moment but frowned. “The only thing you should really be aware of, that I can think of, is to just make sure you’re not away from any of us. A lot of mafioso will be there and I trust them about as far as I can collectively throw them.”

Kyoko smiled at the comical image that popped into her head. “Okay, anything else I should be aware of?”

“One thing that is important, is to not be too nice to everyone there. Go ahead and smile and introduce yourself, but don’t go beyond that. A lot of mafioso will see that as an invitation for something more intimate and I don’t want you to be inappropriately propositioned.”

Kyoko blushed like mad and looked at Tsuna’s face. He was frowning and giving her a hard stare. He was clearly serious.

“So, what do I do?” She asked holding clasped hands to her chest in apprehension.

He looked at her hands, “just stay close.”

She swallowed thickly and nodded. Their eyes met and she found herself staring intently at the hardness there. This new Tsuna was older in mind, not just his body, and it was beginning to show. She began to realize how naive she was to believe that he would forever be the little boy she knew. She began to open her mouth to say something further when a hand grabbed Tsuna by the left shoulder and gave him a firm shake. He barely reacted as he turned around to see a tall, dark-haired young man she knew.

“No way! Sawada Taunayoshi?” Tsuna nodded at the young man with a small smile. “Don’t you recognize me? It’s me, Mochida, from middle school!”

Tsuna finally recognized the dark-haired boy before him and gave a more genuine smile. “Ah, I barely recognized you with your hair back!” Tsuna said to him jokingly.

Mochida spluttered in embarrassment. “Oh, right. I’m sorry for bullying you in middle school. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Tsuna stood up then and bowed to his senior who in returned it. “Don’t worry about it,” he said standing straight again.

Mochida saw then that Tsuna was no longer the kid he once knew and stared with wide eyes. “What the hell, Sawada? What happened to you?”

“Huh?” Tsuna looked down at himself with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What happened to that cowardly kid I used to know?” Mochida questioned while giving him an appreciative once over. “You’re huge and it’s obvious you work out! I’m surprised! So, what changed?”

There was no way Tsuna was gonna tell his former upperclassman about the mafia so he just laughed. “My grandpa got me a good tutor and then sent me to an academy overseas to toughen me up. I think it worked,” he laughed again while Mochida gaped at him openly.

“Seriously? That’s cool!” Mochida bowed again to him and Kyoko and waved. “Well, I’m off then. Good seeing you both, Sawada, Kyoko.” Then he was gone.

Tsuna sat back down and was leaning again in his chair. Kyoko watched him relax with a small smile on his lips. It was obvious the exchange had lifted some kind of unknown weight from his shoulders. Kyoko noticed a couple of girls nearby staring at Tsuna and gave them a small glare as they tittered over his looks.

“Tsu-kun,” she said unexpectedly.

Tsuna’s ears perked up at her use of his mother’s nickname for him. He looked her over curiously, noticing her eyes were on a couple of women standing at the counter nearby. He realized they were subtly trying to get his attention as they gawked at him. He smiled as he realized she must be feeling possessive of him. He stood up then and extended his hand for her to take. He knew he shouldn’t, but he didn’t want her to think his attention might be taken from her by some other pretty girl. She tentatively took his hand and he led her from the small diner, the ogling girls glaring in jealousy at their backs.

Tsuna walked hand in hand with Kyoko for the rest of the afternoon and she was on cloud nine. Her heart was racing the whole time as Tsuna expertly led her around the small shopping district and talked with her about mundane things. His every fiber was laced with confidence and it had her staring in open appreciation.

“You know, I feel I should confess something to you,” he said making her heart skip a beat.

“What is it?” She asked as his fingers squeezed hers gently.

“For all of middle school, I had a huge crush on you.” She watched him wince as the words escaped his mouth. He was embarrassed to reveal something so personal to her, especially his old love for her. “I used to imagine I would marry you one day.”

“Used to?” Kyoko felt her heart contract painfully in her chest.

“Yeah, after we moved to Italy I kind of grew out of it.” He paused and looked down at his feet. “I’m sorry if I’ve led you on today,” he added in almost a whisper.

Kyoko felt her chest seize painfully at his words and tried not to cry. “So those times you confessed in middle school, they weren’t a joke.” It was spoken as a question, but it was truly meant as a statement. “I feel horrible. How could I ignore your feelings like that? I’m so sorry, Tsu-kun, ah, I mean Tsuna-kun!” She tripped over her words bashfully.

“You can call me Tsu-kun. If it’s you, I don’t mind.” He looked at her with a wry smile.

“And you don’t need to apologize to me. It’s my fault for getting ahead of myself,” Kyoko was smiling even though her heart was shattering into a million pieces. “We were friends first, so I hope we can stay friends?”

Tsuna nodded enthusiastically at her. “I just want you to know,” he said looking away shyly. “If you ever need anything, I’ll be there. You’ll always have me, no matter what.”

She smiled and nodded at him. Reluctantly, she released his hand and clasped her palms together in front of her. “So, why is everyone on your case about a wife?” She needed to change the subject, or she might break down into tears right there.

Tsuna groaned and rolled his neck. “I am the last living heir of Vongola Primo, so I guess to them that means I need to get married and have kids asap. It’s so annoying, I wish they would let me take my time and find the right partner. Grandpa, ah I mean the Ninth, is being the pushiest about it. I guess he wants to see me married at least before he dies. He’s old, but not that old, but he acts like he could die tomorrow. He keeps introducing me to these girls from other families and wants me to be flirty with them so he can get something out of it rather than for me to meet a nice girl. They’re all so clingy and greedy, they make me feel gross.” He shuddered before realizing he was ranting to a girl he had just more or less rejected.

Kyoko’s lips twitched as she tried not to laugh. “Ah ah, poor Tsu-kun. Must be hard being introduced to beautiful, single women all the time.”

He laughed and Kyoko giggled alongside him. “But really, it can be exhausting. They’re all so desperate to improve their own status they don’t care what kind of person I am. I’m to be Vongola Decimo, so I’m a prized catch. King of the Underworld, richest and most powerful man alive. Bleh,” he faked a gag making Kyoko laugh again.

“But you know, maybe one of them will be the girl of your dreams,” Kyoko smiled at him and he shrugged.

“I doubt it. I made a bet with Gokudera that I’ll marry someone outside of the mafia, much to Grandpa’s displeasure,” he chuckled to himself at the surefire rant the old man would go on if that happened. Not marrying a girl to improve Vongola’s power or status was basically a mortal sin to his predecessor. It was almost comical how he reacted when Tsuna had asked for a waitress’s phone number while they were out to lunch once.

Kyoko laughed so hard her sides began to hurt. “Oh no, he would really be upset about it?”

Tsuna smiled and nodded. “Yeah, he’s super devoted to making the family as big and powerful as possible.”

“And you’re not,” she questioned with a sideways glance.

“Not as much,” he confessed. “ What we have is good already. I just want to use this platform for good now. Not to increase my power or wealth, but to help people. And I think that’s what’s got everyone so worked up. It puts a target on my back.”

“Wait, why?” Kyoko was completely floored. Why would Tsuna be targeted for doing good?

“Because it looks like I’m weak, soft, and inexperienced. Not things found in a boss suitable to lead the world’s most powerful and deadly underground family.” His focus shifted to something far away as his thought drifted.

“Well, I think it makes you more dangerous.” Tsuna looked at her curiously. Kyoko continued to speak, her voice growing with her confidence in him. “You have something worth fighting for that’s more tangible, longer-lasting, and makes people more devoted to you than they do. With what you’ll do for the world, you’ll be loved for it while they’ll be mocked and turned on. Hope does that, makes you strong.”

Tsuna was left flabbergasted by her words and shook his head with a disbelieving smile. “You amaze me sometimes. How do you always know what to say?” He laughed while she blushed.

“I don’t know what to  _ say _ , I just know what’s true. I won’t lie to you, Tsu-kun, not ever.” Kyoko smiled at him and they both looked away in nervous embarrassment.

“Thank you, Kyoko-chan. I appreciate it, more than you know,” Tsuna smiled thoughtfully to himself. “Well, that should be the end of this afternoon. I have meetings and paperwork waiting for me at the castle.”

She nodded in understanding. “One more stop before you go?” She asked with a warm smile.

“With you? Always,” he said and followed her down the street.

Eventually, they ended the afternoon with some ice cream and quick goodbyes before Tsuna found himself alone in his room. He changed into his formal wear, the high priced suit hugging his every curve as he prepared for a meeting with the representatives from an allied family. He looked at himself in the mirror and for the first time in a long while he noticed the change in himself. His shoulders no longer slumped and his eyes downcast instead, his reflection showed a strong, confident, determined young man who exuded power and status. He looked at himself for a long moment until a knock was heard at his bedroom door. Turning away, he smiled to himself as he felt shameless pride in his growth.

He wasn’t No Good Tsuna anymore. He was Sawada Tsunayoshi, heir to the largest and most powerful mafia family in the world, the future Vongola Decimo. He would bear the title with pride.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello, Decimo. My name is Nevrus."

Tsuna stared at this behemoth of a man before him with little concealed disdain. Roman Nevrus was a giant of a man at 190cm (~6’3”) with stark white hair and dark blue eyes. He had the build of a bodybuilder with stocky arms and legs held together behind a too tight, black, cheap suit. Tsuna glanced down to see the dark splatter of old blood on the man’s shoes and pulled back a lip in disgust.

“Pleasure, Nevrus. A shame you couldn’t finish cleaning up in your haste to greet us,” Tsuna’s tone was scathing and his eyes met the older man’s in a bland look laced with contempt. It was never a good sign when a man was attempting to impress him by not cleaning up after his ‘activities’ were finished. Tsuna hated those who valued bloodlust in their allies.

“My apologies, Decimo!” He boomed loudly in a roaring laugh. “I was in such a rush and I didn’t want to keep you waiting,” the man glared at Tsuna while keeping the rest of his face as pleasant as he could muster.

Tsuna was still sorely unimpressed and rolled his eyes. Nevrus was a small-time boss, his family was no larger than one hundred fifty members, so Tsuna felt no need for politeness nor pleasantness. He shrugged his shoulders and turned away to focus his attention on the old man seated on the velvet couch behind him. “Grandpa,” Tsuna said greeting the current boss, the Vongola Nono, Timoteo, with a much softer tone than the one he directed at Nevrus. “Shall we get started?”

Timoteo nodded and motioned for Tsuna to sit beside him. This time around, Tsuna would lead negotiations with Nono guiding him from the sidelines. Tsuna dipped his head and took a seat beside the elder and leaned back, draping his arms over the back - the perfect image of lazed uninterest. Tsuna could see Nevrus grind his teeth as he sat down, clearly offended by Tsuna’s rude behavior.

_ ‘Oh well,’  _ Tsuna thought with a tug on his lips. He pushed away the urge to smirk and sat up just a bit straighter. “So,” he began while taking a drink from a glass of scotch set before him. “You wanted to join Vongola’s conglomerate? Why?” Tsuna watched Nevrus as he sat forward with a smug look on his face.

“I’m hearing that Vongola Decimo is on the hunt for a wife and I have what you need, but I want something in return,” Nevrus watched with satisfaction until Tsuna burst into laughter.

“You’re kidding right?” Tsuna was trying his hardest to control his laughter but only succeeded in turning purple instead. When he finally managed to calm down, he saw that Nevrus was also turning purple, but from anger. “I’m sorry. I’m just surprised you thought you could maneuver this meeting with something so, so…” Tsuna was at a loss for words.

“Stupid,” Gokudera and Yamamoto added simultaneously from behind him.

Tsuna snorted in agreement. “I have no need for a wife, I’m only just browsing the available selection. But if you want to offer up a young woman to keep me company, I don’t mind at all. I will not, however, guarantee she will become my bride.”

Nevrus looked as though his veins would pop out of his forehead. “Unfortunately, Decimo, my daughter is precious and in need of a good man at her side. I have heard you tend to treat your young women with quite the deference. And of course, I have other things I can offer Vongola, I just thought why not offer to knock out two birds with one stone?”

Tsuna wasn’t going to admit it, but he was now more interested. “And what can you offer other than a pretty bride?” His tone was dripping with sarcasm.

Nevrus swallowed his retort and smiled tightly. “First of all, we have quite the foothold in…” Tsuna quickly tuned out the long list of redundant, and not so surprisingly, unneeded or unwanted assets and networks.

“Oh God,  _ stop _ ,” Gokudera said with a groan. Nono chuckled from beside Tsuna. “ _ I’m _ tempted to marry your daughter just to get you to shut up.” Gokudera continued while Yamamoto turned with a hand pressed to his mouth to stop himself from laughing while Tsuna let out a chuckle.

“I’m going to tell you something I already knew when we came here,” Tsuna said, sitting up and straightening his jacket. “You have absolutely nothing to tempt us with. So, unless your daughter is the most beautiful woman any man would have ever seen, I doubt we’ll end this day with a deal.” He got ready to rise from his seat when Nevrus shot to his feet, his fists balled and shaking.

“You disrespectful little-!” He never got to finish because Gokudera and Yamamoto were at Neverus’ side in the blink of an eye. Both men glared daggers at Nevrus, making him sweat as he slowly sat down. “I assure you, Decimo!” He pleaded. “If you would only take a moment to meet the girl?”

Tsuna sighed and looked to Nono. They held a quiet conversation for a moment before Tsuna sighed again, this time in defeat. “Alright, but call her quickly. I’m on a tight schedule.”

Nevrus waved his arm at one of his men sending the man running from the room. In under a minute, there was a knock at the door and a young woman walked into the room. Tsuna nearly choked. And not in a good way.

The young woman that walked through the door was far from beautiful. And even further from what Tsuna thought any human should look. He felt as though her face should be censored from reality and never shown on camera for fear of traumatizing the population. Nevrus stood next to her with his shoulders thrown back and a look of pride on his face.   
Gesturing to the young woman, Nevrus spoke with adoration. “This is my beautiful young daughter, Sheila, or Shelly as we call her.”

Tsuna almost gagged but quickly composed himself and stood up. He caught Nono’s eye and the old man turned a little green but nodded nonetheless. Tsuna walked to the pair standing by the door and bowed before taking the young woman’s hand and kissing it lightly. He hadn’t hated needing to use such manners before, but now he was at a new low.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sheila,” Tsuna said gruffly and straightened again. The young woman blushed at him profusely and he almost cringed at the effect it had on her face.

“The pleasure is all mine, Decimo,” her voice was surprising. She sounded mature, her voice was sultry and melodic like a singer’s and Tsuna blinked in surprise. Then the young woman laughed and he almost cried as her father turned to her. “I’m sorry, you look so disturbed I can’t keep this up!” She laughed again as her father blushed furiously at her when he finally saw her face.

“What is on your face?! You think this is a game, stupid girl?!” Nevrus was yelling at his daughter and looking at everyone in the room in a panic. “Get that off right now!”

The woman continued to laugh and slowly peel away what seemed to be some kind of rubber mask from her face. What Tsuna saw, was quite possibly the loveliest young woman he’d ever seen. She had the largest blue eyes and the darkest lashes and her smooth skin was pale with a bit of red tinting her cheeks from her laughter. White teeth were framed by pearly red lips and her face was framed by long curling black hair. Tsuna could see the slight texture of her make-up on her face with the occasional bump from a zit or two and the very slight smattering of freckles on her high cheekbones. Tsuna was so shocked and embarrassed he burst into laughter and soon everyone was laughing with the young pair. After a few moments, they calmed and sat back down.

“I’m so sorry about that, Decimo,” Nevrus said while his daughter sat beside him with a gleeful smile on her face. Tsuna couldn’t help but grin back at her.

“Don’t worry about it, I enjoy the occasional prank,” Tsuna replied, not taking his eyes off the beaming young woman across from him. “Though, I would appreciate it if you kept them out of business meetings.”

Sheila blushed and nodded, looking down slightly ashamed. “I’m sorry, I like to joke when I’m nervous.”

Tsuna nodded in understanding and leaned over to Nono. “Grandpa,” Tsuna whispered and the old man nodded.

“Do what you think you should, Tsunayoshi,” Nono said simply with a smile for the young man.

Sitting with his back straight, Tsuna looked down his nose at Nevrus. “Be thankful this young woman put me back in a good mood. I’ll allow the merger, but I still refuse to take your daughter as my bride. I have only a handful of requests for you. Your family has nothing to offer our own - drugs, money, guns, women, we have it - but,” he paused for effect and looked to Nono for confirmation. When he received the old man’s nod he looked back to the pair opposite and smiled. “You can do something for me. I need you to restructure your family.”

Nevrus immediately blanched as his daughter tilted her head curiously at Tsuna. “Decimo,” Nevrus said with a shake to his voice. “Why would you ask such a thing?”

Tsuna sat back with a warm smile. “You said it yourself, I treat others with unfounded deference. That is not something that extends just to women in my company, but to all whom I feel deserve it. I am not a man that basks in the pain of others, so I have no need for something other families could easily provide. But your family is still small and easy to maneuver so I want you to change your dealings. Instead of buying and selling guns, I want you to raid warehouses for victims of trafficking. Men and arms will be provided for you, should you agree. I also want you to take down opium dens and other centers of drug use and help with user recovery and rehab. Can you do it?”

Tsuna watched as the man before him thought deeply with a look of sincere confusion on his face. Nevrus hadn’t expected this and was pleasantly surprised. Tsuna was sure Nevrus wanted him to take his daughter as his bride more than before after his little speech.

After Nevrus sat watching his daughter for a moment as she looked in wonderment at the young Decimo, he made his decision. Nodding to Nono and Tsuna he stood and extended his hand. “We have a deal then,” Nevrus said with a small smile. “I look forward to working with you, Decimo.”

Tsuna grinned and stood, taking Nevrus’ hand and they shook once, firmly. Tsuna turned to Nono and nodded his approval. “We’ll send someone over with the formal documents within the week. Take your time looking them over and we’ll set up a meeting for revision and signing.” Tsuna bowed and shook Nevrus’s hand again before politely taking the young woman’s hand and giving it another kiss. “Apologies for my earlier behavior, Miss. I hope we meet again.”

She beamed at him with a blush furiously taking over her face and she pulled away before fanning herself. “I hope to meet with you again in the future as well. I’ll pray for your safe travels home,” She looked away shyly and clasped her hands tightly behind her.

Tsuna turned away from them and was led from the room by Nono’s storm guardian, Coyote Nougat. At the cars, Tsuna held open the door for Nono before sliding in beside him. Coyote and Gokudera sat opposite them as the vehicle started up and slowly drove down the drive.

“That was very good, Tsunayoshi,” Nono praised his heir enthusiastically. Tsuna blushed and unbuttoned his jacket.

“I did my best,” Tsuna always tried to remain humble. He leaned back and sighed, having to play these games with other bosses tired him out every time. “That make-up though, what the hell kind of magical nightmare was that?” Tsuna looked at Gokudera who shrugged when he heard Yamamoto chuckle from the front passenger seat.

“That’s costume make-up, like in the movies,” Yamamoto passed his phone to Gokudera who passed it to Tsuna.

The image made Tsuna shriek like he was in middle school and coughed to cover it. “I-I see,” he stuttered and returned the phone. “Never show me something like that again.”

Yamamoto laughed but agreed as he stuffed his phone back in his pocket.

“It was quite the surprise,” Nono agreed and smiled. “But I’m happy to see a young woman with a sense of humor. Don’t you agree, Tsunayoshi?”

Tsuna nodded. “Yeah, and she was pretty too. But I don’t know,” he added after seeing a glint in Nono’s eye. “I wouldn’t mind seeing her again and getting to know her, but I’d rather not be romantically involved yet.”

Nono nodded in understanding. “Very well, we might just arrange that for you.”

Tsuna sighed while Gokudera winked at him with a smile. “Sure Grandpa, for you, anything.” Nono shook his head knowing what Tsuna really meant and the rest of the ride home was quiet.

Tsuna threw himself across his bed. Exhaustion weighed heavily on his mind, but he felt no urge to sleep. Instead, he stared up at the ceiling and silently wished for his simple days as a middle school kid to return. He hadn’t appreciated how easy life was back then and now he regretted not savoring it more. Sitting up, he looked across his room to a couple of shelves that held picture frames en mass. Walking over, Tsuna picked one up.

The photo showed him and all his friends in their last year of middle school wearing their winter uniforms. Lambo was running around with I-Pin making Tsuna stumble and the image showed him halfway through falling down. His face was comical as he visibly screamed in the image, the rest of the group laughing except Gokudera who was panicking as well. Tsuna smiled to himself, remembering the day fondly, it was only a couple of months later when they found out they would all be moving to Italy.

Tsuna carried the photo to his bedside table and set it down facing the bed. He laid down and stared at the photo for a long time. Eventually, sleep began to take hold and he decided as he closed his eyes that he would gather his friends sometime before the ball to have a day together. No mafia, no responsibilities, no danger, or craziness and just have fun like they did when they were kids.

**A/N:** Tsuna is kind of OOC in this one, but this behavior is explained later on.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm looking for beta-readers! If anyone is interested, message me either here or on my twitter @Maya0953 :D

He was handsome, tall with light brown spiky hair and broad shoulders. Lean and well built, he was glistening in sweat as he moved around the ring with his Sun Guardian, Sasagawa Ryohei. His shirtless chest was a sight for sore eyes and his muscled arms flexed under the force of his punches and blocks. Sasagawa Kyoko was attentively watching one Sawada Tsunayoshi, the Vongola Decimo, as she tried desperately not to drool all over the floor. She watched as his back muscles moved as he did and she thought for a moment what it would be like to feel them while he moved over her.

Kurokawa Hana sat to Kyoko’s right and nudged her friend as she once again spaced out with her mouth open. “You know,” Hana said with an exasperated sigh. “Sawada already told you he’s not interested anymore. I don’t get why you’re pinning now.”

Kyoko blushed at her friend and shook her head. “I never saw him before as anything other than that sweet boy, but now he’s a man and-... I don’t know what to do.” Kyoko twisted some hair around her finger and sighed heavily.

A pretty European woman with wavy brown hair and a golden tan approached the ring as the two men inside broke apart. She handed Tsuna a water bottle and he drank heavily from it while panting. She watched as the two spoke briefly and Tsuna gave the woman a dashing smile. Kyoko felt her heart tighten at the sight and looked away.

“I wonder who that is,” Hana mumbled to herself as she watched the pair talk and laugh. The young woman flipped her mid-length hair over a shoulder and nudged Tsuna with her hand making him laugh again. “His girlfriend?”

Kyoko went pale at that and shook her head. “Tsu-kun said he didn’t have one, so she might just be a friend.”

Hana watched her friend try to deny the obvious attraction between the pair in the room. “I doubt that a friend wouldn’t touch a sweaty, shirtless man so much and so easily. She’s really familiar with him,” Hana spoke quietly, but Kyoko heard every word. Hana went back to watching the pair and saw the young woman approaching them. “Oh, hello?”

“Hey, sorry to interrupt your discussion, but Decimo says they’ll be done soon. One more round and they’ll clean up,” the woman said with a sweet smile.

The two men behind her went back to sparring each other at that moment as Hana looked her over. “And you are?” Hana said with a frown.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” The woman said and bowed. “I don’t mean to be so informal, my name is Evie. I’m the Boss’ consultant and glorified secretary.” She extended a hand which Hana took with a smile.

“Glorified secretary? What’s that?” Hana said laughing and the woman sighed in a defeated way.

“Make the Boss do his paperwork and chase after him with a calendar so he doesn’t miss meetings… Again. I also do filing and update his schedule as needed. I also attend meetings with him and take notes for later review, that sort of thing.” She was so pretty and Kyoko felt jealousy rising up.

“So you spend a lot of time with Tsu-kun?” She asked with a mildly biting tone.

The woman blinked in confusion. “Tsu-kun? Oh! You mean the Boss, yes I do. Sorry, I’m not familiar with all of his nicknames.”

Kyoko felt better with that, it was obvious the woman wasn’t allowed to call him something so intimate. “Ah, yes, he said I can call him by the nickname his mother uses.” Kyoko felt victorious over this woman for some reason even though Evie only continued to smile back at her sweetly.

“That’s nice of him. He’s always so sweet on the girls,” Evie shook her head and laughed.

Kyoko flinched at her words and looked down ashamed. It didn’t feel like Evie was trying to be mean, but the words hurt. Kyoko wondered how many other girls Tsuna had been ‘sweet on’.

“Don’t worry though, I’ve heard you girls, in particular, get the best from him. I’ve been instructed to treat you as I would my own flesh and blood.” Evie smiled at Kyoko with such warmth the blonde felt her heart squeeze affectionately.

“Ah, thank you, Evie-san,” Kyoko said with a beaming smile.

“No need for honorifics with me. We’re all family here,” Evie leaned back with a hand on her hip and turned her head to watch the boys when Ryohei got a hard hit to his temple and his headgear flew off. Evie gasped and ran to the ring while Tsuna ripped off his own headgear and caught Ryohei before he could fall. “Medic!” Evie yelled out and jumped into the ring.

Kyoko was there with her hands covering her mouth while Hana held her shoulders for support. “Big brother,” she whispered with shock and grief.

“Jeez, Sawada! Are you trying to kill him?!” Hana said with venom in her voice.

Tsuna flinched and shook his head. “It was an accident.” He looked over at the elder man and waved his hand in front of his face. “I think he’s just dizzy.”

“He’s definitely gonna have a bump for a good while,” Evie said as she examined his head injury. Using a light she shined it in his eyes and nodded. “No concussion from what I can tell, but you boys need to go easier on each other. This is just exercise, not a real competition,” Evie scolded Tsuna roughly while a medic entered the ring and laid Ryohei down for a more thorough examination.

Tsuna looked down in shame and nodded. “Sorry, Evie, I’ll be more careful.”

The medic opened a vial of smelling salts under Ryohei’s nose and the man woke up instantly and sneezed. “I extremely hate those things,” he muttered while wincing. Sitting up slowly he rubbed at his head and chuckled. “Damn, Boss, you hit hard when you want to.”

Tsuna blushed and apologized profusely to Ryohei who waved him off. “I’ll be more careful, promise.”

“Same here, I forget how competitive I can be so it’s on both of us,” Ryohei said with a grin.

_ “No shit!” _ Evie exclaimed in English making the room stop. She blushed embarrassed and shrugged. “Sorry, felt like that should have been said.” The room erupted into laughter while Evie smiled apologetically.

Tsuna shook his head at her and smiled softly.  _ “Good to know, but he still needs a trip to the infirmary.”  _ Tsuna’s flawless reply in English made Evie chuckle.

“Right on it, sir,” the medic replied as he helped Ryohei to his feet and escorted him from the room.

Tsuna jumped down from the ring and ripped off his gloves. Evie hopped down next to him and began to get to work helping him remove the tape from his hands and wrist. Kyoko watched while she held a towel for Tsuna waiting for him to turn to her for it. Instead, Evie reached out and grabbed it from her while Tsuna grabbed his shirt.

“You should go check on your brother, Miss Kyoko,” Evie said with a dip of her head. “I can take care of the rest here.”

Kyoko blushed and nodded, not wanting to leave her alone with Tsuna but knowing she had to check on her brother. Slowly, she turned away with Hana and left the room.

“Tsuna, you need to be careful with that girl. She’s smitten with you,” Evie chided as Tsuna used the towel she handed him to wipe sweat from his face, neck, and chest.

“I know,” he sighed. “I already told her I’m not interested, but she’s still hung up it seems.”

Evie nodded in understanding. “A few ground rules to keep the peace then; no being shirtless, no smiling too much at her, try to avoid eye-contact or keep it to a minimum-”

“Wait what?” Tsuna cut her off with a tone of incredulity.

Evie laughed at him. “You tend to be intense when you look at someone and it’s easily misinterpreted as interest. Same thing when you keep smiling at a girl.”

Tsuna groaned as she made her point. “Do I really? I feel like I’m just looking.”

“Yeah,” Evie said with a smirk. “Looking into their soul. Really Tsuna? Are you that blind or just that damn dense?” She shook her head at him and took his towel as he threw a shirt over his head.

Tsuna sat down and began to tug on some socks then his boots. “I just don’t get it, Reborn said for me to always make eye-contact. It’s respectful and-”

“For women it’s flirtatious.”

Tsuna choked. “It’s not!”

“It is. Sorry to burst your bubble buddy, but it’s extremely flirtatious. Eye-contact between two people of the same gender - if they’re not gay or whatever - is entirely different from two people of the opposite gender. It sends a completely different message.” Evie rubbed her temples.

“And what message is that?” Tsuna said sarcastically as he rose from his seat and walked from the room.

“That you’re interested. Not just in what they’re saying, but in  _ them _ . When you’re making casual conversation it’s different, but when you’re talking about something personal it’s a whole new ball game. And plus,” she paused as she followed Tsuna from the room. “When a girl is interested in a guy, we tend to look for things - signs - that the other is interested in return. We make mountains out of molehills. It’s what we’re good at, it’s why we always end up heartbroken.”

Tsuna thought a moment as her words sunk in. “So, you want me to cut her off?”

“For the love of- No! Jeez, I did not mean ‘go hard or go home’.” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “If you ghost her, I’ll personally gut you. Just, keep your distance. Don’t go out alone together, no inviting her out for dinner or breakfast or coffee - even as friends, and for the love of God Tsuna, do. Not. Flirt.”

“I don’t flirt with her.” Tsuna was exacerbated as he entered his bedroom, Evie hot on his heels.

“Not consciously, but you do flirt. With everyone.”

Tsuna snorted as he walked into his closet. It was a room in and of itself with the space lined on both sides with shelves and racks full of clothes. He was sure he didn’t wear close to half of what was in there. He picked his way through his items and grabbed some casual streetwear before stripping off his clothes.

“You just don’t get it, Tsuna,” Evie said from the bedroom, her back to the closet entrance. “You’re very charming and charismatic without realizing it. It’s literally what every one of those etiquette classes trained you to be and it has power, especially over women.”

Tsuna walked out while shrugging on a thin hoodie, a white tee-shirt stretched across his torso and showing his build off well. His jeans sat comfortably at his waist and in his hand he held a pair of high-top sneakers. As he lifted his arms, his shirt lifted just enough for there to be a tease of his muscled stomach.

Evie sighed, “I hate you.”

Tsuna paused and smiled at her. “Why? What did I do now?”

Evie walked up to him and grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt and tugged it down. “That.”

Tsuna couldn’t help it, he smiled seductively at her and winked. “Thirsty much?”

Evie chortled at him and grinned. “You couldn’t handle me, Princess.”

They stared at each other for a moment before they both burst into laughter. Shoving his shoes on they left the room and made their way to the infirmary. They were laughing and joking as they walked in and saw Ryohei putting his shirt on.

“Ah! He lives!” Evie joked at him.

Ryohei laughed at her and waved. “Yep! Doc said I’m good to go.”

Kyoko sat in the corner with Hana who was blushing furiously and staring at her feet. Kyoko watched the pair silently but broke into a grin when Tsuna smiled at her. He caught Evie giving him a look from the corner of his eye and immediately averted his gaze. Focusing on Ryohei, he saw the older male stumble a bit but catch himself. Tsuna decided to focus on his friend at that moment as he rushed forward and grabbed his arm to support him.

“Careful,” Tsuna said and eased him to sit back on the bed. “What did the doctor say exactly?”

Ryohei sighed and shrugged. “He wants me to rest up, I got a mild concussion.”

Tsuna cringed and apologized again. “I’m so sorry, Ryohei.”

Ryohei nodded at him and rubbed at his forehead. “Me too, we both got carried away. I’m more sorry that I can’t go out with everyone. I was really looking forward to it,” Ryohei sighed as his shoulders fell.

“We can go next time,” Tsuna said in reply. “Promise!” He smiled down at the older man who returned it.

“I look forward to it, Boss,” Ryohei gave him a thumbs up and laid back down. “The room is spinning so I’m gonna take a nap. You guys have fun.”

Tsuna dipped his head and led the girls from the room. “We’ll bring back some food and souvenirs for you,” Tsuna smiled brightly as Ryohei waved them off. Tsuna had the girls follow him to the main dining hall where everyone was gathering for their outing but was surprised to see only Yamamoto and Chrome there. “Where is everyone?” Tsuna questioned as the pair bowed to him.

“Ah, well,” Yamamoto rubbed the back of his head. “It’s looking like our outing might get canceled. The Ninth just sent word that we’re leaving for America tomorrow morning so everyone is scrambling to finish up some leftover work and pack.” Yamamoto gave him a sad smile. “Chrome and I are the only ones that are ready to leave already, so it may just be the seven of us, including Haru.”

Tsuna ran his fingers through his hair. “Why wasn’t I told this sooner?”

“No idea, it was sprung on all of us just an hour ago,” Yamamoto replied grimly.

“An hour ago?! He can’t be serious,” Tsuna groaned and scrubbed at his face. “It took two weeks to plan this.”

“I know, but-” Yamamoto cut himself off and began to fidget.

“There’s more?” Tsuna was about to scream in frustration.

“Well,” Chrome spoke up, “yeah. Uhm, we’ll be gone… For about a month.” Chrome watched as Tsuna looked at her in shock. “Minimum.”

Tsuna groaned again and threw himself in a chair at the dining table. He put his head in his arms and muffled a frustrated yell in his arm. “Will I ever get a break?” He asked, muffled.

Chrome looked at him sadly and didn’t respond. Yamamoto tried to cheer him up to no avail as Kyoko and Hana watched with frowns.

“Well, I guess this is canceled then,” Hana said with a pout.

Tsuna’s head shot up and he shook his head. “No, no way. It was way too hard to get everyone together and I’m not giving up. We haven’t all spent time together in four years.” Tsuna looked at Yamamoto who smiled back gently. “Call everyone, they’re work can wait for another time. I’m giving permission for them to drop it and go out. We need a vacation.”

Yamamoto grinned at him. “Sure thing, Tsuna.” He made a gesture for Chrome who nodded at him and closed her eyes to concentrate.

Hana watched the whole thing curiously. “Isn’t Kyoko’s brother supposed to rest?”

“Yeah,” Tsuna said and stood up. He checked his pockets for his phone as he started getting messages of the affirmative from his Guardians. “Which is why after we’ve been out for a while we’re gonna bring it back to him. Games, fast food, and sweets. I’ll have someone take you girls home around ten o’clock.” Tsuna checked the time on his wristwatch. “Get a hold of Haru, let her know the change in plans.”

Kyoko pulled out her phone and texted Haru before her phone rang. “Hello?” Kyoko said then began informing Haru of their new plans. After confirming with the other young woman, Kyoko hung up. “She said she’ll meet us at the mall to save time.”

Tsuna nodded and continued to focus on his phone. “Chrome, have Gokudera get the van so we can all head out together.” Chrome nodded when Tsuna finally turned off his phone screen and began walking towards the garage. “Let’s go,” he said motioning for their small group to follow behind him.

Varía. Why was Varía in Namimori? Tsuna had no idea as he stared at them and they stared at him. And no one moved. He was sure they were all holding their breath. Then Squalo broke the silence. 

"Voooooi! What are you brats doing out here?!" 

Tsuna was tempted to cover his ears at the ear-splitting sound as Squalo yelled. Yamamoto just laughed at him and smiled. Gokudera stared like he was ready for his soul to vacate his body as quickly as possible. Kyoko, Hana, and Haru stared at Squalo with apprehension and huddled closer together.

“We’re having a leisure day, Squalo,” Yamamoto said while lifting his hands in a placating way.

Squalo looks them over and grunts in response. Xanxus is just sitting there slurping noodles and sending Tsuna death glares. Tsuna decides not to stand for it in front of so many people and gives him a bland look in response. The older sky stops eating and stares in bafflement for a second before a grin spreads and he swallows his food.

“Don’t get cocky with me, Trash,” Xanxus states with a deadly smirk on his lips.

Tsuna rolls his eyes and shrugs. “I do what I want.”

Xancus threw his head back and laughed. “Look at those shiny new steel balls you got!” He laughed some more and shook his head. “Can’t say I’m impressed though.”

Tsuna watched him silently as the girls slowly moved to hide behind him and Gokudera. Gokudera stepped back and spread his stance in order to protect the girls. If this went south, he had to be the one to get them out of the way while his boss kept defense. Lambo stood at the back of the group with I-Pin and the pair pulled out their phones. There was no way they were not going to record all hell breaking loose.

Tsuna snorts a derisive laugh and instantly it  _ goes down _ .

Xanxus throws the table at the same moment Gokudera and Yamamoto grab the three girls and turn. Tsuna raises his arms to catch the punch thrown at him by the older male. Yelling is heard from their respective groups as well as passersby as the two men fought in the middle of the plaza. After a moment of the two sparring with each other, Evie decided she was going to step in and grabbed both men by the collars of their shirts and pulled. Hard. Tsuna and Xanxus went flying to the floor and knocked their heads together at her feet.

“Are you done now?” Evie asked with venom lacing every word. “We’re trying to have a nice time out and you two want to act like toddlers. Get a grip before I make you,” Evie glared at the two men as they rubbed their heads where they made contact.

Xanxus got to his feet first and glared back at Evie. “Piss off, wench.”

He didn’t get to say anything else before Evie sucker-punched him in the jaw. “Fuck off, Xanxus. Go get laid and disappear for a few more years.”

Tsuna stood up slowly and ducked behind Evie as she continued to berate Xanxus. When the older male finally left, Evie turned on tsuna. “I know what you’re going to say,” Tsuna said, lifting his hands placating. “I’m sorry, I’ll fix this.”

Evie nodded and pointed to the girls still huddling behind Yamamoto and Gokudera. “Good, fix it now.”

Tsuna hung his head and walked over the small group. Lambo and I-pin ran over while sipping on some iced coffees they grabbed while the men fought. Tsuna handed I-Pin his credit card, “go get a few more for the rest of the group while I clean up.” Tsuna nodded to his companions when he approached and hung his head in shame. “Sorry, we don’t get along.”

“No shit, Sawada!” Hana yelled at him and pinched his arm. Tsuna barely flinched but blushed at her chastising tone. “Who even is that?!”

Kyoko answered for him,” That was Xanxus, he was originally a candidate to take over before Tsuna.”

“For Sawada’s family business. Right?” Hana asked.

“Yeah,” Tsuna said. “My understanding is that he wound up being passed over because he’s sort of adopted.”

“Sort of? What’s up with that?” Hana looked at Tsuna with a scowl. “You’re not telling me everything. So what’s up with this weird-ass dynamic?”

Tsuna grimaced and looked at Gokudera who just shrugged at him.

“If she wants to know, maybe we should tell her?” Yamamoto suggested while patting Tsuna on the shoulder.

“Alright, but I’ll explain at the mansion,” Tsuna responded with a sigh.

“What? Why? Just tell me now!” Hana protested as Kyoko and Haru tried to pull her along.

“Hana,” Kyoko said sternly. “Let’s go.”

Hana relented after a moment and followed back to the bus. The ride back to Vongola mansion was saturated in awkward silence. Once they were in the house, Ryohei was on them.

"What happened? Kyoko are you okay?" he asked as he checked her over in an exaggerated way.

"I’m fine, brother," she replied and smiled at him brightly. "Tsu-kun took the brunt of it."

Ryohei turned and looked at Tsuna with a dumbfounded look. “You seriously picked a fight with Xanxus?”

“Uh,” Tsuna hesitated and shrugged. “I guess?”

Ryohei dropped his head into his hand. “What kind of-” He stopped and shook his head. “I am extremely disappointed in you. What if my sister got hurt?”

Tsuna looked at his feet and began to fidget on his feet. “I’m sorry, I was thrown off and just reacted. I wasn’t expecting them to be back so soon.”

“There, there, guys!” Yamamoto said with a laugh. “No one got hurt, so all's well then ends well, right? Let’s go hang in the theatre room and watch a film,” Yamamoto led Tsuna away while Ryohei bent down to speak with his sister in hushed tones. In the theatre room, the boys all began to settle down, but Hana had other ideas.

“So, you going to tell me or what, Sawada?” She demanded with her hands on her hips and leaning over the brunette threateningly.

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” Tsuna rubbed the back of his head. “You should probably sit down for this one.”


	7. Chapter 7

“THE MAFIA?!?!” Hana’s screech resounded across the room and down the hall making all within hearing range stop and stare towards the door to the theatre room. She was still standing in the middle of the room having refused to sit down as Tsuna had begun his explanation. She was shaking her head and shaking. “Kyoko, Haru, you can’t seriously think this is okay?!” The aforementioned girls just shrugged.

“It’s not as bad as you think, Hana,” Kyoko said with a small smile. “I understand it’s a scary thought, but Tsuna is a good person and he’s trying to use the mafia to help people.”

“Kyoko,” Hana said while rubbing her eyes. “The mafia can’t be used that way-”

“It can,” Tsuna said, effectively cutting her off. “I’ve already dropped thousands into several different charities and non-profit organizations around the globe. Cancer research, battered women’s aid programs, schools for endangered youth, and in third world countries, and I’ve had several hospitals built that only accept low-income patients.” Tsuna paused to look at Hana. “My understanding is that what I’ve done has had such a significant impact in their local communities that it has resulted in reduced crime, an increase in graduation and literacy rates, and increased property values, to name only a few positive consequences.”

Hana glared passively at Tsuna, the receiving male just watching her blankly in response. “And you expect me to believe that? The mafia runs on crime, there’s no way you’re going to try to reduce it!” Hana spat the words at his feet with venom lacing every letter.

“Good thing I wasn’t raised in the mafia. I was originally meant to never be a part of it, but because Grandpa’s sons were all killed, I was the last option left.” Tsuna took a drink from a water bottle he’d been holding and looked Hana over.

She was still mad but was visibly calming down. “So, you didn’t have a choice?”

Tsuna shook his head. “No, though I was convinced at one time that I was and I was being given a choice to do what I wish. It was an illusion though, one that took me years to see through.” He took another long swallow and wiped his mouth. “You do have a choice, however, if you want to continue associating with us or not.”

Hana took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before they sprung back open. This time, her gaze held a grim, but appreciative gleam as she faced Tsuna. “Honestly, if Kyoko is gonna be associating herself with you, I’m sure as hell not gonna leave her in this shit show alone.”

Tsuna smiled at her softly and nodded. “Good to know, now can we eat and watch the movie?”

“No.” Hana smiled when Tsuna flinched. “You’re gonna explain who that Xanxus guy is and why you thought it would be great to start a fight in the middle of a public place.”

Tsuna rolled his neck and groaned. “Fine, Xanxus is the adopted son of my predecessor, Timoteo, and he didn’t know that until I was named the heir. He’s hated me since and every time we meet, one of us typically starts some kind of altercation so we normally stay away from each other.” Tsuna took a deep breath and another swallow of water. “I haven’t actually been face-to-face with him in two years.”

“So? He’s mad because you, what? Stole his job?” Hana was confused.

“Uh, no, not exactly. Only blood heirs of Primo, that’s the first generation boss, can inherit the title of Vongola Boss. So finding out the title of Tenth Boss would be given to a middle school kid over himself. It was a bit more than just humiliating for him.” Tsuna paused to gather his next words. “To top it off, finding out you’re adopted while fighting for something you always thought was your inherent right? Yeah, I’d say I’d be pretty pissed too.”

Hana shook her head, eyes wide with understanding and awe. “That explains so much. All that fighting you guys did all those years ago, was that why?”

Tsuna nodded. “That was one reason, that was the first conflict we faced together as the Tenth Generation. Lambo got hurt really bad during it, that's why he was hospitalized at that time.”

Hana covered her mouth in shock. “But why Lambo? He’s just some brat?”

Tsuna nodded in agreement and looked down sadly. “Lambo was chosen to be one of my Guardians, each generation has six of them, and he was forced to participate in the conflict because of that title.” He didn’t see the look of disgust cross Hana’s face. “I tried to fight it, but I wasn’t allowed. I ended up having to step in the middle of a match to keep him from getting killed and I was disqualified as a result. I still think it was worth it.”

Hana sunk into a seat nearby and covered her mouth. The room had been silent as Tsuna explained everything and now as she looked at them she knew why. They all knew and had kept it a secret and this latest revelation of Lambo’s near-death experience was just as much a heavy burden as the rest. “Sawada?”

Tsuna looked up at her tone in curiosity. He’d expected her to be angry, but she sounded contemplative at best. “Yes?”

“Tell me everything. I want to know what everyone knows. I want to know what even Kyoko and Haru don’t know.” Hana’s hand rested under her chin as she watched Tsuna with a focused gaze.

“We know everything, Hana,” Haru said affronted.

“Actually, you don’t,” Gokudera spoke up with a sigh. “Some of the, more brutal, details have been kept from you.”

Tsuna watched his Storm Guardian warily and sighed as well. “It’s true. For your own mental security and also to prevent oversharing due to Omerta.”

“Omerta?” Haru asked with a tilt of her head.

“Yeah,” Ryohei said. “The ‘Vow of Silence’, if you break it, you die. But for Hana,” Ryohei paused then there was a groan and the cracking of knees as he stood up. “I can tell you everything, but only as long as you swear Omerta.” He locked eyes with her.

Hana watched him intently for a moment then nodded her head. “I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure?” Tsuna asked while leaning forward in his seat.

“If you don’t want it, Boss, we can pretend this conversation never happened,” Ryohei responded while looking at Tsuna.

Tsuna shook his head. “It’s up to you, Kurokawa-san, but know that once you do, you are a part of our world and there is no going back. Ever.” He held her stare for a moment until she looked back to Ryohei with determination in her eyes.

“I’ll swear Omerta,” Hana said confidently.

Ryohei smiled and nodded. “Alright, then let’s go.”

“Let’s go? Where?” Hana asked with her arms crossed.

“I’m gonna take you home. We’ll talk on the way there,” Ryohei responded with a smile.

“Alright,” Hana got up to follow him out.

“But why now?” Kyoko asked with a jolt. “We’re all trying to have a day together before you all leave?”

Tsuna nodded to Ryohei and he left the room with Hana. Tsuna looked at Kyoko and smiled softly. “It’s going to take a while for him to tell her. The more time they have together the better.”

Kyoko looked down at her feet and nodded. “I understand, but,” she looked back at him, a hard edge to her gaze that made Tsuna blink in surprise. “What kind of things, exactly, haven’t you told us?”

Tsuna felt his ears go hot. He should have known the girls would be on him about this. He watched as the rest of their small group shifted uncomfortably as they tried to sneak out of the room. Opening his mouth, he ended up using his ‘boss voice’ as he called out to them. “And where do you think you’re all trying to sneak off to? There’s no way you’re leaving me to explain this alone.”

Gokudera smiled at him calmly. “I think this is a responsibility we all share, but, Tenth, uh,” he paused and looked at the girls. “I think you should handle this. You should decide how much they know and don’t know. Since you’re the boss and all.”

Tsuna looked at his friend incredulously and felt like he was in middle school all over again.  _ ‘He’s totally abandoning me! So much for being my right-hand man!’  _ He thought to himself. Sighing outwardly, he nodded because even though he knew Gokudera was talking out his rear end to avoid being in trouble with the girls, he still was right. As the boss, Tsuna was responsible for all of them. Information sharing outside the family could technically only be done by him, but it was never something he really enforced.  _ ‘Oh well, let’s get this over with,’  _ Tsuna waved them out of the room and sat the girls down in front of him. “You girls pretty much know everything, we just haven’t told you in excruciating detail. Every conflict, disagreement, trial that we’ve gone through, you know  _ about it _ , but don’t necessarily know  _ how or why _ .”

The girls leaned in closer, Haru more than Kyoko, and pinned the young boss in place with their intense gazes. “Tsuna-san,” Haru says with a small taste of disgust on her tongue. “Did you think not telling us in detail would protect us?” At his shy nod, Haru huffed. “Are you stupid or something? We are not made of glass!”

Tsuna was surprised by the bitterness in her tone and looked down nervously. “I know that, but I can’t help that I want you two to be safe.”

“Tsu-kun,” Kyoko said, her tone lined with steel. “We are not children. We are your friends and whether you like it or not, we are also a part of this family. So listen up!”

Tsuna watched her transfixed.

“We will also swear Omerta and you  _ will  _ tell us everything. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. This is final,” Kyoko said and Tsuna found he couldn’t argue with her. When he didn’t respond to her she nodded her head once in satisfaction. “Good, we care for you Tsu-kun, but sometimes your hero complex is annoying.”

Tsuna choked at her words. “I do  _ not _ have a hero complex!”

Both girls looked at each other with a look that said ‘ _ he can’t be serious’ _ and turned back to him. “Oh yes you do,” Haru said while sitting back and crossing her arms. “You have since the day you saved me from drowning in that river. Always trying to protect or save someone without care for yourself.”

“Total hero complex,” Kyoko chirped with a pleased smile.

Tsuna felt his stomach twist uncomfortably. He hated it when the girls were right. He hated it when anyone was right. He meant to speak against them one last time when the door was kicked open. Tsuna turned to yell at the intruder only to see Reborn standing there with a devilish smirk. “Ack!” Tsuna felt panic bubble up in his core at the deadly look on the man’s face.

“Tsuna, I heard from a little bird that you went and started a  _ brawl  _ in the middle of a public space.”

Tsuna was sweating now, he could feel the back of his shirt stick to him as the moisture built up. “Re-Reborn, uh, I can explain!” Oh no, he was definitely in middle school again.

“Prepare yourself, stupid student, and start running,” Reborn looked down at him and he slowly withdrew a handgun from its holster at his back.

Tsuna felt his blood go cold and without thinking shot to his feet and burst from the room. He ducked and dodged as Reborn sent round after round of bullets for his arms, legs, shoulders, even his head. Pretty sure he was on death’s door, Tsuna bolted out into the garden still dodging shots and ricochets until he was deep in the woods. He stopped and bent over, hands on his knees as he took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He stopped short when a shadow appeared next to him then a hand shot out and smacked him solid on the back of his head. Tsuna yelped and jumped away before turning to a smirking Reborn.

“I let you escape those shots, Useless Tsuna,” Reborn watched the boy blush under the embarrassing reminder the nickname gave him.

“I know that, but still!” Tsuna huffed at his tutor and glared at his feet. “I know you’re mad-”

“Quite the opposite actually,” Reborn said with a smirk. “I’m quite proud of you for standing up to Xanxus.”

Tsuna was shocked then broke into a grin at those words. It was rare to receive praise from Reborn, but to hear him say he was proud was a first for the brunette.

“However,” Reborn said, ending Tsuna’s victorious feeling. “You should have done it in a more private setting. I’m glad those gathered got to see you grow a pair of brass balls, but there were too many civilians involved and for  _ that _ , you are being punished.”

Tsuna groaned and rolled his neck. “Alright, fair enough. So what do I do?”

“Oh?” Reborn raised a brow in surprise. “Normally you whine and complain. What’s different this time?”

Tsuna looked away with his mouth twitching. His tell was caught by Reborn, but the former Arcobaleno said nothing. “I mean, you’re right, so what’s the point in arguing?”

“What were you talking with Kyoko and Haru about?”

Tsuna’s spine went rigid. “Nothing?”

“Is that a statement or a question?”

“Statement?”

“Idiot Heir.”

Tsuna hung his head in defeat. Taking a deep breath he spoke. “Kurokawa Hana was with us today when the fight broke out.”

“I know.”

“Well, she wanted to know everything, even agreed to swear Omerta, and now they want to as well.” Reborn nodded and waited for Tsuna to continue. “And they said I have a hero complex.”

Reborn stood there blankly staring at Tsuna as the boy fidgeted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Then, Reborn burst into laughter. “They’re not wrong!”

Tsuna watched in absolute horror as Reborn doubled over, holding his sides as he wholeheartedly laughed at the young heir. “They-they are wrong!” Tsuna tried to argue.

“But, they’re not,” Reborn said, straightening up and fixing his sleeves. Immaculate as always, Reborn looked Tsuna over and a smirk. “A hero complex through and through.”

Tsuna glared at his tutor and shook his head. “How can you agree with them, even knowing the things I’ve done?” Tsuna turned away, an angry blush coating his cheeks as he was forced to admit his misdeeds. “I’ve done things to people, horrible things. No one with a ‘hero complex’ would do those things, Reborn. Do you have a hero complex? No, you’re a freaking hitman, regardless of how many people you’ve saved. So why is it different for me?”

Reborn snorted and crossed his arms. “I killed people, did  _ horrible _ things, for  _ money _ , Idiot. And I  _ never felt bad about it, not once _ . You have done horrible things for the sake of others. Tsuna, you don’t have a heartless bone in your body, you’re not capable of being cold, ruthless,  _ murderous _ without feeling drained or guilty afterward.”

“Castro.”

“Bought and sold children for the sex trade.”

“Marcielli.”

“Drug dealer and Pimp King known for  _ stomping _ women to death when they disobeyed him.”

“The Douglas Brothers.”

“They don’t count,” Reborn said with a scowl. “That was an accident, Tsuna.”

“Valerie Mitten.”

“Tsuna.”

“Scofield.”

“Tsuna.”

“The  _ entire _ Dregg clan.”

“SAWADA TSUNAYOSHI!” Reborn’s voice boomed around them as his yell echoed across the trees. “I will say this once, and only once. Doing one or two bad things,  _ on accident, _ I remind you, does not make you a horrible person. We’ve all made mistakes. You’ve owned up to yours, now move on from them. They are a weight you do not need.”

Tsuna took a deep breath and wiped his eyes of the tears that had gathered there. “And doing one or two  _ good things _ does not erase the evil I’ve done.”

Reborn glared at Tsuna and grit his teeth. It was amazing to him how annoyed he could get with the boy in such a short amount of time. “Fine. Your punishment then.”

Tsuna balled his hands into fists and nodded.

“Go tell the girls about all the  _ evil _ you’ve done.” Reborn watched as a now pale Tsuna looked at him with wide eyes. “Have them swear Omerta and tell them everything.  _ All of it. _ ” His tone was final.

“Reborn! You can’t be serious!” Tsuna fell to his knees. “Please think about this! If they knew they’d never forgive me, they’d never forgive all of us!”

Reborn pointed a gun at Tsuna’s forehead. “ _ Do. It. Now. _ ”

Tsuna swallowed, his throat feeling like it was closing up and finally relented. Slowly he rose to his feet and made the long trek back to the house. There he found the girls and smiled weakly. “I lied earlier, I’m sorry. I’ll have you swear Omerta, then I have a few stories to tell you.”

At their eager nods, Tsuna began. First was the vows followed by the tales.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got my first comment on here and I'm so happy~!~!~!~!~!  
> To Crimsonfan24: I am so glad you're finding enjoyment in my work. I hope you continue to find this cute. I was aiming for funny, but I kind of suck at humor so I'll take cute. :D


	8. Chapter 8

Tsuna had decided a long time ago that he liked kissing, as long as you had the right partner for it. Too aggressive and it got overwhelming, too soft and it got boring too much tongue and you got that fleshy taste, not enough tongue and it was just lips sitting bored against each other. But this girl, Natalie Scott, knew what she was doing as they sat there stuck at the mouth in a dim night club in an even dimmer corner. No one said anything as they sat in their private corner making out, not even Gokudera who was at the next booth over watching for danger.

Unfortunately, Tsuna had to pull away when he felt dainty fingers on his thigh. Looking down at the brunette before him, he reached down and plucked her hand from his lap. “I’m not interested in doing  _ that _ with  _ you _ ,” Tsuna said blandly and shifted away. The girl next to him pouted at him and tried shifting closer.

“But how come? Come on, Tsunayoshi~,” she replied with a seductive tilt of her lips. She leaned towards him using her hands as support and pressed her breasts together with her upper arms giving Tsuna a generous view of her cleavage.

Tsuna swallowed and blushed ever so slightly. He was grateful it was dark in the club and faked a sneer at the woman. “No thanks, I have no interest in an activity that could land me with a bastard.”

She flinched at his words and leaned away with a scowl on her face. “I have no intention of getting knocked up either, you know,” she huffed at him.

Tsuna snorted and shook his head again. “I’m not going to take a chance on it. End of discussion.”

She crossed her arms and pushed out a  _ fine  _ before jumping up from the booth and leaving him alone. Gokudera came over when she was out of sight and sat across from his boss with a smile. “Had fun?”

Tsuna sighed and crossed his legs as he leaned back in the booth. “While it lasted.”

“Oh? What happened?” Gokudera questioned with a playful wince.

Tsuna groaned and scratched at his cheek. “She started getting grabby.”

Gokudera smirked and shook his head. “Haa, Tenth, maybe you really should get a girlfriend?” He watched as Tsuna sunk down into his seat with a pout.

“Yeah yeah, I get it already. Let me take my time at least?”

Gokudera grinned at his friend and boss. “So, have you heard anything from Reiko-san?” Gokudera watched as Tsuna smiled to himself.

“Yeah, got a text from her last night,” Tsuna said with a small grin and a blush dusting his cheeks. “When we get back, I’m thinking of asking her out.”

Gokudera broke into a grin. “Really? So we can stop bugging about a girlfriend for you, eh?”

Tsuna shrugged. “Maybe, we’ll see how it goes.”

“Alright, looks like they’re done,” Gokudera replied as he got to his feet from the booth.

Tsuna looked across the club to where a staircase led to a small door opening to reveal Coyote Nougat escorting Nono from a bright office. Tsuna got to his feet and he and Gokudera made their way to the foot of the stairs. Yamamoto joined them a second later with a lazy grin. “What’s with the smile, Yamamoto?” Tsuna asked with his own knowing smirk.

“Nothing~” he chirped. “Just met a real pretty girl.”

Tsuna gave a resounding  _ ohh~  _ at his friend.

“Got her number too.” Yamamoto laughed as Gokudera pushed his arm jokingly. “I grabbed her friend’s number for you too, Gokudera.”

The white-haired male blushed furiously and spluttered. “W-w-what did you d-d-do that for, Baseball Nut!”

Yamamoto just laughed as Tsuna turned to the approaching elder gentlemen as they reached the base of the stairs. Tsuna took Nono’s arm and began walking with him from the noise of the club to a backdoor where a car waited for them.

“You looked like you were having a good time with that girl, Tsunayoshi,” Nono said with a gleam in his eye.

Tsuna blushed at his predecessor's jab. “Ah, Grandpa, it’s not like that. We were just killing time,” Tsuna said with a shrug.

“Now now,” Nono smiled at his heir. “Fun is alright, as long as it-”

“Doesn’t lead to a ‘happy’ mistake. I know, Grandpa,” Tsuna said while Nono chuckled. “It’s why it ended when it did.”

“Oh, that young woman wanted to go further?” Nono questioned as he slid into his seat in the car.

Tsuna sat opposite him and adjusted his jacket to sit more comfortably. “Yeah, sent her on her way before she went too far though.”

“Good, good. Oh, and Tsunayoshi?”

Tsuna looked up curiously from his phone in his hand. “Yes, Grandpa?”

“Who’s Reiko?”

Tsuna’s ears were immediately on fire. “Oh, a girl I met recently. She’s really pretty and polite. You would like her,” Tsuna sat back and loosened his tie nervously. He began to rub his forefinger and thumb together in an effort to soothe himself of his nerves.

“And a poor waitress with three younger siblings and who lives with her single mother who works two jobs,” Nono said with a hard edge to his eyes.

Gokudera slid next to Tsuna, Yamamoto on his other side. The latter spoke up in his boss’s defense. “Come on, Ninth! Consider this practice!” Yamamoto chuckled.

The car pulled away as Nono’s eyes narrowed. The three boys swallowed nervously and averted their gaze. “I will allow this only because it will make good practice for when you find a worthy woman to be your wife.” Tsuna tried not to groan but failed making Nono slam his cane down. “You may not like it, Tsunayoshi, but your wife will be the Madre di Vongola and she will hold as much power as you. You need to be sure to find a strong woman who can hold her own in the mafia world. If not, she’ll end up dead.”

Tsuna hated that he was right and grumbled to himself before nodding his head in understanding. “Alright, Grandpa, I get it.”

“Do you? Because I don’t think you do.” Nono looked at the three young men in front of him and sighed. “I just want you to make the right decision. Many bosses before you have chosen their heart’s desire over compatibility and it always ended in tragedy. Do not make those same mistakes.”

Tsuna rubbed his neck and gave a pleading look to Gokudera at his side. “We are all aware of the future lady’s position in the family,” Gokudera said firmly. “Tenth just wants to experience life a little. It shouldn’t be so bad as long as he isn’t looking for a permanent partnership with an outsider, right?” Nono nodded. “Then we will ensure that, as his Guardians.” Gokudera adjusted his tie while making eye contact with the elder male.

Nono smiled, appeased for the moment. “Very well, I’ll leave it to you then. Keep him in check.”

Gokudera and Yamamoto both nodded once and Tsuna was able to go back to his phone, scrolling through his emails. One caught his eye. “Grandpa, who is Gianna Lencioni?” Tsuna looked up through his lashes to see the ninth boss blinking at him owlishly.

“Ah, she is a young woman I met recently. Her uncle is an associate of mine from years back.” Nono looked way too innocent to Tsuna.

“Grandpa, why did I get an email about going on a lunch date with her?” Nono smiled at him, sparkles practically dancing around his head as Tsuna gazed at him incredulously. “Tomorrow?” Nono just continued to smile while Tsuna felt sweat gathering at the back of his head. “Grandpa, you do realize we’re in the States? How am I supposed to go on a lunch date with her, in Italy, tomorrow?”

“By taking an overnight jet.”

Tsuna stared at Nono dumbfounded. Gokudera and Yamamoto beside him with similar expressions. “Wait, what?” Tsuna asked.

“There is a flight set up to take you, overnight, back to Italy. You’ll be there with your two guardians,” he gestured to Yamamoto and Gokudera, “and we’ll fly you back to Japan in two weeks.” Nono smiled innocently at Tsuna while the young heir just dropped his head into his hands.

“Grandpa, why am I just hearing about this now?” Tsuna was freaking out as he realized he was in for a more than tiring two weeks. Not to mention the sleep deprivation he’d be facing over the next forty-eight hours.

“Calm down, Tsuna,” Yamamoto said and clapped the younger male on the shoulder. “We’ll be here to help you out.”

“Ah~, I was hoping to see Reiko-san sooner than this.” Tsuna flinched when Nono glared at him. “Sorry, Grandpa.” He quickly apologized and scratched his cheek embarrassed. “So, when does the plane leave?”

Nono smiled at him kindly once more. “Right now,” he stated as the car came to a stop and the door was yanked open. “Have a nice time and remember to be polite, Tsunayoshi,” Nono waved as a hand reached in and grabbed Gokudera by the arm, yanking him out of the car.

Tsuna squealed when a second hand grabbed him and pulled him out, Yamamoto exiting the car immediately after his boss’s feet disappeared. Jumping to his feet, Tsuna looked past his companions to see the shiny white jet out on a runway with the door open.

“Decimo!” A voice shouted to him over the roar of the jet engine. “We have to hurry, the schedule for landing is tight!” Tsuna nodded and followed the man.

Once on the jet with his guardians, Tsuna took a deep breath and yanked off his tie. The door was shut tightly as they took their seats, a stewardess before them with blankets and pillows. Tsuna took his gratefully before they buckled themselves in for the long flight. “What even?” Tsuna questioned as they flew over land and rivers.

“Huh? You say something, Tsuna?” Yamamoto asked from his seat across the narrow walkway.

“Nothing, just wondering what the heck just happened back there. Grandpa was more aggressive about me dating an outsider than he normally is. And this Gianna person, who is she? Why is she so important that I have to do an overnight flight to have lunch with her?” Tsuna rubbed his head frantically. “I don’t get it. Grandpa WHYYY?!?!?!” Tsuna screeched before slamming his head down on the small table in front of him.

The stewardess jumped up and rushed to him. “Decimo! Are you okay? Do you need anything?” She began to fuss over him as overly dramatic tears streamed down his face.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you,” he said when she finally stopped fussing.

Gokudera and Yamamoto looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

“Well, could be that Ninth wants you to see her as a romantic partner,” Gokudera said and put his head on his fist. “Think about it, why would he be so secretive or pushy? He most likely thinks he’s found the perfect person for you.”

“After the debacle with that Rebecca girl, you’d think he’d lay off a bit, no?” Yamamoto laughed and leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head.

“There’s no way Grandpa would give up that easily,” Tsuna sighed, defeated. “I just hope this girl is a better prospect than the last few.”

She wasn’t.

Tsuna was pretty sure his day couldn’t get any worse. There was no way that Nono had willingly set him up with someone so obvious about their intentions. Gianna was a beautiful woman, but she was a  _ racist and incredibly greedy _ . Her opening line to Tsuna had been  _ ‘I don’t like the idea of having a chink for a husband, but you have the money I want so I guess you’ll do.’  _ He wasn’t even sure how to respond to that. He took a long look at her and decided to just leave. Telling Gokudera and Yamamoto what happened had sent them into hysterics. He was sure his friends weren’t going to need to lift a finger when it came to keeping him from marrying for the wrong reasons, no matter what their current boss said.

So, Tsuna decided he needed to fly back to Japan early and speak with his grandfather figure and hopefully get the man to understand that Tsuna was going to take his time finding a wife. He would find a good woman whom he loved, who loved him in return  _ and  _ was also suitable for the position of Madre di Vongola. Convincing Nono he was capable of such a thing was looking to be the more difficult task. At just nineteen, soon to be twenty, Tsuna wasn’t feeling rushed like the rest of his family. He just needed a little time.

Pushing open the door to his bedroom in Japan, Tsuna yanked off his jacket and dress shirt as he walked to his closet. Grabbing a clean shirt and some sweatpants to sleep in, he didn’t notice when another person had entered his room. Walking from inside his closet, he stopped short when he noticed a petite, pretty, young Japanese woman in the staff uniform standing by his bed with fresh sheets in her arms. She blushed deeply when she saw him and hastily turned away from him.

“I am so sorry, Decimo-sama! I didn’t know you were back already!” She dipped her head with each frantic word. “I didn’t realize I would catch you at such an indecent time! I deeply apologize!”

Tsuna reached out to touch her shoulder to comfort her when he saw something on the floor in the corner of his eye. Looking over, he saw it was his shirt and jacket that he’d discarded moments before. Tsuna looked down and saw his bare chest and that was when it clicked. He was half-naked. “Ah! I’m the one who should be sorry! I forgot I had taken my shirt off. I’m just about to get in the shower, please do what you need to during that time. Excuse me!” He hastily bowed to her back and darted for the bathroom and locked himself in. He blushed wildly and covered his face in his hands. He felt like some dirty old man for flashing such a young girl.

Groaning, he pushed himself from the door and walked towards the large walk-in shower and stripped. He hadn’t even grabbed undergarments before he ran into the bathroom, his original intention to simply change and crawl into bed disrupted by the appearance of the girl. Not wanting to be up for much longer, he dropped his pants and turned on the hot water before stepping inside. If he listened hard enough, he could hear the girl changing his bedsheets and cleaning his room. Sighing, he washed up and soon stepped from the bathroom. He felt uncomfortable going commando as he scanned his room for the girl. She was in the corner dusting around some ornamental sculpture Tsuna had never really bothered to notice. She still had the blush dusting her cheeks. She was  _ really _ pretty.

Tsuna cleared his throat, making her jump as he entered the room. “Thank you for your hard work. I plan on sleeping now, so if you could please?” He trailed off as she got the message and bowed deeply, still blushing a light pink. His mind trailed off as he continued to watch her.

She moved deftly about the room gathering her supplies. “Pardon my intrusion, Decimo-sama,” she said, her voice light and musical.

“Oh!” Tsuna mentally punched himself when she looked at him. “What’s your name?” He felt stupid and had no idea why he wanted to know.

“Ah, Miharu Keiko, sir.”

“Miharu-san, I apologize for my earlier indecency. I do hope you’ll forgive me?” Tsuna smiled brightly at her and the girl before him blushed an even deeper shade of red.

“It was my fault, Decimo-sama, for not announcing myself before entering. I will ensure it doesn’t happen again.” She bowed once more and Tsuna returned the gesture.

“I guess this means we’re even, thank you for cleaning my room, Miharu-san,” Tsuna watched her curiously as she shifted shyly from foot-to-foot.

“Of course, Decimo-sama. Please excuse me,” she bowed, Tsuna dipping his head ever so slightly in return, and she left the room.

Breathing deeply, Tsuna stretched his arms over his head, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Wondering why he couldn’t just marry some sweet girl like that, he climbed under the covers and laid back with an arm draped over his forehead. “Maybe Grandpa will listen to me tomorrow,” he mumbled to himself as he drifted to sleep.

Of course, Sawada Tsunayoshi would  _ never _ be that lucky.

“What makes you think I would allow that? You’re going to be twenty this year, Tsunayoshi. You won’t be young for much longer,” Nono didn’t bother looking up from the document before him as he absentmindedly reprimanded his foster grandson. “I understand what you’re seeking, I was lucky to find my own wife with similar requirements, but that doesn’t mean I’ll just leave you to your own devices. You need to learn to look past these young ladies’ flaws and accept them for who they are and what they can offer this family.”

Tsuna stood before the heavy oak desk that would one day be his, Nono seated behind it as he signed his name on a document, not once looking up to the young man before him. “Grandpa, you were very lucky to find her, but I also want the same relationship you had. I want my partner to love me as I would them  _ and  _ be perfect for her role. I can’t find someone compatible if you keep interfering.”

“Interfering?! Is that what you think this is?!” Tsuna flinched as Nono’s voice boomed from the fragile-looking old man. “I have thrown woman after woman at your feet for you to spit upon my generosity. Any more of this and the next young woman will be your intended regardless of your wishes. I would find no pleasure in it, I assure you Tsunayoshi, but I would sell your hand in an instant for the betterment of this family. It’s about time you looked past your selfish desires and did what was best for Vongola and nothing else.”

Tsuna was getting frustrated but refused to lose his temper. “Grandpa, that’s not what I meant, and I know you mean your words. But-”

“No buts! I’ve had it up to here with you,” Nono grumbled while holding his hand flat and level with his eyes. “Find a woman, or I will marry you off without a second thought. End of discussion!” Nono slammed his hand down on the desk making the assortment of pens clatter loudly.

Tsuna bowed deeply and left the room hurriedly. He practically ran back to his room as his anger continued to mount to an astounding level. Never had he felt so angry towards his predecessor before, but Tsuna didn’t want to back down. He wanted the choice to be his but the noose around his neck was getting tighter and tighter. Throwing open his door he saw the girl from the night before there picking up his discarded pajamas from the floor.

She jumped up, startled. “Decimo-sama! My apologies!”

Tsuna ignored her and threw himself backward onto his bed. He covered his face with his hands and scrubbed at it harshly. He felt a gentle warmth touch his elbow and lowered his hands to see Miharu Keiko leaning over and looking at him worryingly.

“Are you okay, Decimo-sama? Do you need anything?”

Tsuna watched her curiously. Her lips sat parted with a slight pout, her brows furrowed. She had big brown eyes so dark they were nearly black, framed by thick black lashes. Her dark hair was twisted into a bun that sat neatly at the back of her neck. Tsuna noticed a stray hair had pulled itself free of the meticulous twist and sat idly next to her right ear. Tsuna smiled gently. “No, thank you. I’m sorry if I startled you.”

She backed away as he sat up in his bed and bowed to him. “It’s no problem, Decimo-sama. I’ll take my leave so you may rest.”

“Wait,” Tsuna said before he could stop himself. Feeling like the weight of the world was pressing on his shoulders he sagged a little. “Can I ask you a question?”

She shifted uncomfortably but nodded to him.

“I’m sure you’ve heard about me being forced to find a wife as soon as possible?” She nodded and blushed. Tsuna couldn’t help the teasing smile at his lips as he watched her. “I want to marry for love, but the boss is telling me to marry for the family. Which do you think I should choose? My heart or my duty?” He watched as she stuttered, caught off guard by his question. “Sorry,” he said after watching her struggle to answer him. “I shouldn’t shoulder my problems onto you. Forgive me, and please, forget I asked.”

“I think-” Tsuna watched as her mouth opened and closed like a nervous fish. “I think, if you could find both, it would be best, but in the end, doing your duty is probably what you should focus on.”

“So, you think I should just find a suitable wife whether I like her or not and marry her? For the sake of making and raising a brood?” He watched her lips quiver at the coldness in his voice and sighed.

“Not really. You should still marry someone you like, but making sure they’re suitable as a wife should come before any romantic feelings.” She fidgeted on her feet as she struggled to find the words. “What I mean is, um, feelings come and go, but having a partner you can respect and appreciate regardless of your heart is more meaningful in the long term. I mean, um, someone who can be your friend and your lover at the same time.” She blushed as his eyes widened.

“What,” he paused a moment. “What do you mean by a lover and a friend?”

“My parents are a good example, I think.” She played with the loose piece of hair. “My mother said my father and her were friends before they were lovers. And it’s what made their relationship so strong. Communication isn’t difficult if you’ve talked to your partner for a long time prior to dating and opening up is easier when you feel at ease with them. Not to mention, love changes as you grow. In the beginning, it can be passionate and exciting, but when that settles it’s what comes next that determines whether your relationship will last. My mother says her love turned into a sense of absolute safety and comfort. A feeling of  _ home _ .”

Tsuna felt like he could understand, but not quite. Thanking her for her input, he sent her from the room and laid back on his blankets with a thoughtful expression. “ _ Home _ , huh?” He said out loud and let his mind wander. He thought of someone at that moment and smiled to himself. “That might just work out.”


	9. Chapter 9

Tsuna sat with his back against the wall as shots rang out around them. Gokudera sat next to him smoking a cigarette and angrily muttering while checking on his dynamite. Tsuna took a deep breath as another chunk broke off the progressively crumbling wall at their backs. “Can you tell me again, how the hell we got into this situation?” Tsuna asked his companion as crackling was heard in his earpiece.

“Apparently,” he paused as he pulled a wet fuse from one of his dynamite and replaced it with a new one from his pocket. “Mukuro thought it would be a good idea to fuck around with Samson’s sister and now she’s heartbroken and he’s pissed.” He grunted as another piece of the wall fell near his head. “So, we are now in the middle of this shitstorm because our Mist couldn’t keep it in his damn pants.”

Tsuna was sure he was on the verge of a brain aneurysm. “I wonder if he does these things just so I go through Hell,” Tsuna shook his head to dislodge some concrete dust that had fallen into his hair.

_ “Oh I do,”  _ Mukuro’s voice came over the radio in Tsuna’s ear.  _ “But this one was actually unintentional.”  _ He heard the older male laugh over the earpiece as Tsuna sighed.

“Sometimes, Mukuro,” he said blandly. “I really hate you.” He heard another laugh followed by a chorus of ‘me toos’ from the other guardians.

“At least he’s given us an excuse to eliminate Samson. We’d been needing one for a while now,” Gokudera responded with a grunt.

_ “At least I’m good for something compared to you, Gokudera Hayato,”  _ Mukuro responded over the radio.

Gokudera scowled at the ground and ground his teeth. “Bastard.”

Tsuna just patted his friend on the shoulder and looked out to see blue smoke rising up from the East. The signal to finally retaliate. Taking a deep breath, Tsuna flipped over the remainder of the concrete wall and set to work ending the violence around them.

Tsuna stood beside the current boss, Vongola Nono, as the two generations sat together in a conference. Mukuro had disappeared as soon as the fighting had stopped and had offered no explanation for his actions and their consequences. Tsuna had since sent Chrome as his representative to meet with Mukuro elsewhere and the two groups were now waiting on her response. Tsuna looked around the room, his Guardians, minus Chrome, of course, sat at the left side of the long conference table with their predecessors sitting opposite them. Nono sat at the head of the table with Tsuna being the sole person standing at his right side. Nono’s elbows rested on the tabletop, his fingers threaded together and his eyes closed when Chrome finally materialized at the other end of the room, a frustrated look on her face.

“Chrome,” Tsuna said with a dip of his head in recognition.

Chrome looked down at her feet with a frown. “I wasn’t able to get much from him, Boss. He did say her ‘lies almost cost him his freedom’ but he refused to elaborate on it further. I apologize.” Chrome bowed to him as Yamamoto pulled out the chair beside him and motioned for her to sit beside him. She sat down still very upset with the situation and spoke quietly with Yamamoto.

Tsuna sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Thank you, Chrome. Maybe he’ll talk to me directly if I corner him?”

She shook her head in response. “Mukuro is gone. Even I don’t know where he went. He’s also cut off contact with Ken, Chikusa, and MM.”

Tsuna rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Very well.”

“Has Samson woken up yet?” Nono asked suddenly.

Tsuna looked to Hibari who nodded. “Yes, did you want to question him?”

Nono nodded. “Yes, but you’ll do it.”

Tsuna nodded in understanding. “Very well, Hibari and Gokudera, you’re coming with me.” The two men stood from their chairs and followed the tenth boss from the room, their cool glares meeting the eyes of every person in the room as they left. Tsuna took a deep breath out in the hall and turned to Hibari. “Would you be able to handle the interrogation while we monitor?”

Hibari Kyoya was a tall, menacing man with a stern face seemingly carved from stone. He wore his mafia formal wear, his dark purple undershirt showing from under his suit jackets, and freshly polished black dress shoes. His suit was pristine, as per usual, and looked as though it had just been picked up from being pressed. His steel-grey eyes looked at the world with indifference and rarely held much light for anything. Unless he found you a worthy opponent to beat into a pulp. He shook his head and crossed his arms. “As much as I would enjoy that, the Ninth has ordered you to do it.”

Tsuna sighed in defeat and led the way to the lower levels of the Vongola castle. At the third basement level, Tsuna headed down a long hall lined with several doors with large rooms behind them. At the end of the hall, there was one steel door on the wall. This was the third basement level’s interrogation room. Tsuna felt hopeful if the interrogee was only this far down that meant they were likely to crack easily but Tsuna was not prepared for  _ how  _ easily. As soon as the door opened, Samson was spitting words at Tsuna left and right.

“Where is your bastard Mist at?!” Samson demanded, spittle flying from his mouth as he seethed. “I’m going to kill him! That bastard hurt my sister!”

“Chrome?”

“No, you idiot! I want Rokudo Mukuro! Rokudo Mukuro!” He slammed his hands down on the metal table he was cuffed to repeatedly like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

Tsuna rolled his eyes. “Technically, he’s not my Mist, Chrome is.”

“He’s still Vongola Trash!” Samson spits at Tsuna’s feet as Gokudera closed the door behind them.

Hibari leaned against the far wall opposite Tsuna and yawned. “That’s like saying  _ I’m _ a part of Vongola.” He shrugged as Samson glared at him. “I do what I want, as does Rokudo Mukuro. We affiliate with no one.”

“You still serve Decimo, do you not?”

Hibari glared at Samson, the receiving male shivered lightly in fear. “He simply signs my paycheck. If Sawada Tsunayoshi thinks otherwise, I’ll bite him to death.”

Tsuna gave a wry smile aimed at Gokudera beside him who chuckled in reply.

Samson glared at the men in the room. “Find something funny?”

“Yeah,” Gokudera said and sat in the chair opposite him, Tsuna took the one beside him. “Your ridiculous overconfidence in your apparent  _ knowledge _ of Vongola and it’s associates. Especially your assumptions of the tenth generation of guardians.”

“Let me tell you something,” Tsuna said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the metal table between them. He threaded his fingers together and put his chin on them with a friendly expression on his face. “Rokudo Mukuro is like a stray cat. He comes and goes as he sees fit and occasionally he drops a dead bird on my desk and gets a treat. Other times he takes a dump on my pillow and scowls at me while he watches me clean it up and when I’m done he blames me for the stain left behind.”

Samson scowled and turned away from the two men before him to stare at a stain on the floor by his feet.

“And Hibari isn’t much different except that he doesn’t shit on my stuff. He just tries to eat me alive.” Tsuna shrugged again. “Now, we have some questions and I’ll be honest, I don’t want to hurt you, so just answer us truthfully. Okay?”

Samson sneered.

“Question one, why did you attack us?” Tsuna sat back and crossed his ankles. He watched Samson chew on his lip, hesitating to reply. “I assume, as I probably should, that it’s because of Mukuro having a romp with your sister then leaving her high and dry.”

Samson nodded. “He knocked up my sister and had the guts to say the kid isn’t his.”

Tsuna’s heart was immediately in his throat. “Say that again.”

“Rokudo Mukuro knocked up my sister. He got her pregnant and now he’s saying the kid isn’t his. He  _ claims _ that she was already pregnant and is trying to pin it on him.”

Tsuna rubbed his eyes and looked at Hibari. The man didn’t even flinch, only smiled in a strange knowing way.

“My sister was seduced, tricked, then abandoned by  _ your Mist _ . I don’t care if you say otherwise, he’s one of yours if you’re cleaning up his mess,” Samson turned dark green eyes accusingly on Tsuna. “And now, you’re hiding him from his deserved justice.”

Gokudera rolled his eyes. “I can tell you right now if it was really deserved then the Tenth would hand-deliver the shitty bastard to your doorstep. But you decided to fire on your friends before even approaching us on this.”

Samson spits at them. “Bullshit! My people reached out to Rokudo Mukuro and his people for weeks before this happened.”

“And that’s where you messed up,” Tsuna said with a sigh. “Two things you did wrong: first, expecting Mukuro to take you seriously and not talking to us first, and second, you fired on us and not Mukuro who is his own separate entity from Vongola. By assuming we knew anything about this spat you were having with him, you fired on your ally and have started a war you won’t be able to win. To top it all off, you’ve completely missed your target because Mukuro is long gone now. Even we can’t find him.”

“You lie,” Samson said through gritted teeth.

Hibari walked over and loomed over Samson while baring his teeth in a menacing smile. “We don’t bother lying. Much less to inconsequential herbivores like you.” He pulled away and looked at Tsuna. “Your turn.” Walking back to his place at the wall, he smirked while Samson growled at him.

“You’re all a bunch of cowardly bastards hiding and covering for Rokudo Mukuro. Just wait until my associates hear about this!” Samson yelled at Tsuna.

Tsuna took a deep breath and stood up. “You sound like a kid who got his favorite toy stolen.”

“Annie is my only sister. What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t stand up for her honor? Annie said he promised to marry her then ran off with another woman!”

“You could be a brother who holds his sister responsible for her actions rather than just blaming the man,” Tsuna said with barely concealed disgust. “If she didn’t want something like this happening, she should have chosen a better partner for herself. It’s no secret the kind of man Rokudo Mukuro is, so I feel no sympathy for you or your sister.”

Samson began banging his hands on the table again. “You’re a bastard too, Sawada Tsunayoshi! I’ll have Rokudo Mukuro’s head at the end of this and yours too!” A crack sounded and Samson’s head whipped to the side.

Gokudera stood over Samson, a deadly glare on his face and his eyes stone cold. “No one threatens our boss.”

Samson laughed. “He’s not Boss yet. Timoteo is Boss.”

Gokudera smiled and nodded. “That may be true for Vongola, but for the tenth generation, Sawada Tsunayoshi is Boss. We follow his orders and only his orders. Timoteo di Vongola holds no power over us.” Gokudera leaned forward and growled into Samson’s face. “So when you threaten  _ our Boss _ , you’re asking for trouble of the worst kind.”

Samson spits on Gokudera’s face, making the white-haired young man turn red. “You don’t get it! I have so much more power at my back than you realize.”

Tsuna grabbed Gokudera by the shoulder and pulled him back before he could hit Samson again. “Power? From what?”

Samson smiled and leaned back in his seat, acting as though he had the upper hand. “Oh, wouldn’t you like to know.”

Tsuna felt rather than saw Hibari move towards Samson with deadly glee. Tsuna shook his head. “I would, but I don’t need to wait for you to answer willingly.”

Hibari appeared at Samson’s back and wrapped his hands loosely around the man’s throat. “Speak. Now.” He said menacingly.

Samson swallowed thickly. “Vincent Mancini is building a conglomerate of minor families that specialize in certain, what one would call,  _ distinctive fields _ .”

“Such as?” Tsuna asked casually.

Hibari still had a hand around Samson’s throat making the man sweat uncomfortably.

“Manufacturing, sales, personal  _ pleasure _ , you know, the illicit kind.” Samson winked at Tsuna.

Trying not to blush at the innuendo, Tsuna rolled his eyes. “Those are all rather minor, probably why he can only rope in small families. So what makes you think you have so much power at your back?”

Samson shrugged. “Currently, the conglomerate outnumbers Vongola, seventeen to one, and is still growing. Small families, we are, but many in number.” Samson looked smug as Hibari let go of his throat.

“The number doesn’t matter to me,” the cloud guardian said with a smirk. “I’ll bite them all to death.”

Tsuna nodded in agreement while feeling grateful that the dangerous man, Hibari Kyoya, was technically on his side. “I think we’re done here.”

Samson sneered at Tsuna. “You’ll soon realize just how deep in the shit you are, Sawada. Just you wait.”

Gokudera meant to rush forward but Tsuna held up his hand. Gokudera stood up and took a step back. Straightening his sleeves as nonchalantly as he could, Tsuna smiled a fake friendly smile. “You know, Samson. I would tell you to be careful, but I think I’ll let you sink your little boat this time around.” Nodding to his companions he turned and walked from the room. “Let him go,” he said as the door closed.

When all was done, Tsuna was ready to just fall into bed and sleep for a week straight. Entering the boss’s office, he found Timoteo seated behind the large oak desk. Tsuna bowed to his predecessor then met his eyes. “I have Hibari investigating the information, but things are already looking bad.”

The Ninth Vongola boss nodded and waved Tsuna towards a chair before the desk. “Tsunayoshi, what do you think of his claims?”

Tsuna sat and spread his hands. “My intuition says he isn’t lying, but I feel like there’s more to it.”

Nono nodded while stroking his mustache. “I never liked Mancini. He always seemed like the shady type.”

Tsuna smiled. “Aren’t all mafia bosses?”

Nono laughed and agreed. “You’re not wrong, but he's even more so of the type.” He waved his hands around in emphasis. Nono contemplated quietly to himself then seemed to come to some sort of decision and leaned back in his seat, eyeing Tsuna up and down. “Still no woman for you, then?”

Tsuna was taken aback by the sudden change in topic. “Uhm, I haven’t really had time to think about it with the events these last few days. Why do you ask?”

“You’re a handsome young man and you’re still single. It’s a bit worrying for this old man,” Nono said jokingly with a laugh.

Tsuna frowned, not believing him. “Grandpa? What is it?” He was going to regret asking.

Nono took a deep breath and sighed. “I know you don’t like it when I meddle, but you finding a wife, especially with this new information, is of the utmost importance.” Nono reached for a folder on his desk and pushed it towards Tsuna.

The heir licked his lips nervously and opened the file. Inside was information on a pretty young Japanese woman. Matsumoto Yuko was her name, and she was described as being seventeen years old and the eldest daughter of a pretty prominent arms dealer in Japan. Tsuna sighed and held up the file. “I know what you want, but I’m not sure about this.”

“An arranged marriage will save you the time of having to hunt for a suitable wife. She meets all of your requirements and your marriage to her will benefit Vongola for generations to come.” When Tsuna opened his mouth to protest, Nono stopped him with a hand. “Just think about it and maybe meet the girl. You may be pleasantly surprised.”

“Why bring this up now? I have enough on my plate.” Tsuna fell back in his seat and closed the file.

“Because, every day you don’t have a wife, is a day you have no children and is a day Vongola goes without a secure source of heirs. Other than myself and your father, you are Primo’s sole heir. I cannot have any more children and unless your father leaves your mother for a younger woman, he also can’t have children. That leaves you, and only you, to continue Primo’s line.” Nono looked sadly at Tsuna. “I know it’s hard to accept still, but having children as soon as possible guarantees the survival of this family.”

“I know, Grandpa. I know,” Tsuna rose from his seat with those words and stared blankly at the file in his hand. “I’ll look it over and let you know my decision.”

Nono nodded at him. “That’s all I ask. You’ll be spearheading this situation with Mancini and the Carrio family.” He smiled and waved Tsuna off. “You’re excused for the rest of the day.”

Tsuna bowed deeply then left the room feeling heavier than before he entered. When he finally got to his bedroom he threw the file on his small dining table in the corner and loosened his tie. Pulling out his phone, he sent a text then turned off the screen. He looked around his room and sighed, there was no end to his responsibilities, but he always knew he could ask that man for advice. And so, Tsuna sat on his bed with his phone in hand and waited for a reply and soon he received it. Answering the call, he held the phone to his ear.

“Hey, Dad? Can I ask you something?”

_ “Anything for you, Son. What do you need?”  _ Sawada Iemitsu answered with a friendly, upbeat tone.

Tsuna sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Do you think it’s a good idea if I agree to an arranged marriage?”


	10. Chapter 10

_ Tsuna heard a sigh from the other end of the phone. _

_ “We’ll talk when I get home tomorrow. There’s something I want to tell you. About me and your mom.” _

_ Tsuna narrowed his eyes in confusion but didn’t ask any questions. “Alright, see you tomorrow.” _

Tsuna sat in a small cafe sipping on a piping hot green tea, his dark brown overcoat, and the red checkered scarf hung on the back of his chair leaving him in his black turtleneck and dark jeans. It was the perfect day for a warm drink and an extra warm jacket. He sat in utter bliss as he waited for his father to join him from whatever dark hole he’d been in recently. He turned his head to see his father finally entering with a wide smile on his face. Tsuna stood up and bowed to the well-dressed man before him then sat.

Sawada Iemitsu was a tall, domineering man with a disarming smile and sharp eyes. As much as Tsuna resented the man for his absenteeism in his youth, he held great respect for Vongola’s Young Lion. The man was a legend and Tsuna found many comparing him to the tall blonde before him, sometimes too often. While Tsuna had inherited his mother’s soft brown eyes and hair, he’d gotten his strong jaw and wide shoulders from his father. It was something he found he admired most about himself, how well his parents' features had combined in his own. He noticed several pairs of eyes had joined with the other several pairs to stare at the two men and sighed in exasperation. He hoped none of them could hear them, but his father smiled his charming smile and Tsuna felt himself relax.

“And how is my adorable son doing on this fine day?” Iemitsu leaned forward on the table and waved over a waitress and ordered a coffee. When she left, he looked a bit more serious at Tsuna. “So, who’s the young lady Nono is shoving down your throat this time?”

Tsuna scoffed and passed a folder to his father. “Matsumoto Yuko,” he said as Iemitsu opened the file and frowned at the contents.

“Yeah, I know her. Pretty, but dumber than a bag of rocks.” Iemitsu made a face at the file and closed it.

Tsuna sighed again, this time almost defeated. “Grandpa said she fit my requirements. ‘Dumber than a bag of rocks’ was one thing I definitely did not want,” he put his tea down and sadly stared at the tabletop. “I don’t get it, I mean I do, but I’m only going to be twenty this year, why do I need to find a wife now?”

The CEDEF boss looked at his son sadly. “If you think about it, it’ll take at least three years until you even get engaged then another year or two before the actual marriage. Objectively speaking, you would be no younger than twenty-five when you married. At least that’s the aim.” Iemitsu got his coffee and thanked the waitress before turning back to Tsuna. “Do you know why I took the role of External Advisor rather than Ninth Boss?”

Tsuna looked up in shock. He’d never heard such a thing, he always thought Timoteo was going to be Boss, he’d never considered his father may have been a candidate as well. Now that he thought about it, it made sense as Iemitsu was also a direct descendant of Primo. “I never knew you were even considered,” Tsuna admitted shyly. Iemitsu grinned in that disarming way of his and Tsuna knew he wasn’t being made fun of.

Iemitsu leaned back in his seat and had a faraway look in his eyes, as though he were looking at a past only he could see. He still smiled, but this time it was softer, full of love. “Your mother was the reason.”

Tsuna sipped on his tea with raised brows. “Mom was?”

Iemitsu nodded. “Yeah. I first laid eyes on her and I knew, just knew, I would give up everything for her. She was so beautiful. I would be damned if I ever let another man get her before I could and I did everything in my power to win her over. Took me a solid month before she even agreed to a date. I think I spent a few hundred thousand yen on flowers just to land that date and I don’t regret it one bit.”

Tsuna smiled at his father as the man laughed at himself.

“I loved her the moment she looked at me, she had a little spoon of ice cream in her mouth and somehow she’d gotten it on her nose.” Iemitsu blushed and began playing with the hem of his jacket. “After that, it was just me constantly chasing her, and then Daniela asked if I wanted to be Boss.” He took a deep breath and just nodded to himself silently. “When I said yes, she shoved a stack of papers into my hand and told me to pick the one I liked best. It was a stack of wife candidates from other families. I told her I already had someone in mind and she wanted to know from which family.”

Tsuna knew where this was going and swallowed. “The Eighth Boss wasn’t happy you wanted to marry a civilian?”

Iemitsu shook his head. “Ah no, that wasn’t it. She was happy I fell in love, but to be Boss I needed to also build ties with other families and a marriage with a mafia woman would be the best way to do it. So when she told me that I said I’d rather marry the love of my life over being Boss.” Iemitsu smiled sadly. “She was happy for me and gave her blessings. Six years later, there you were.” He smiled at Tsuna with so much endearment the boy blushed. “I have never regretted my decision. You and your mother, regardless of my actions during your childhood, have always been my greatest happiness.”

Tsuna spun his empty cup with one hand and rubbed his fingers together with the other. “So, I’m screwed?” He felt his heart slowly die in his chest.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Iemitsu looked thoughtful. “If you really think about it, it’s surprising the Ninth has let you go on like this for so long. His boys were wed by the time they were your age, though none ended up with children. So, all the cards are in your deck. You’re the last available heir, keeping you happy is key. So really, you’re the one with all the power here.” Iemitsu rubbed at his mustache. “You should try kicking that habit of yours though.”

Tsuna tilted his head in confusion. “What habit?”

Iemitsu pointed at Tsuna’s fingers as they rubbed together. “That’s a nervous habit. It’ll be the first thing to give away your feelings.”

Tsuna immediately put his hand in his lap. “Right, sorry.”

Iemitsu laughed. “Don’t apologize. We all have tells, yours is just a bit more obvious.”

“You’re not the first to point it out. Gokudera and Yamamoto also did, I apparently do it whenever I’m thinking.” Tsuna smiled to himself at the memory. “I guess I do a lot of thinking.” The waitress came over and refilled his tea and he smiled gratefully. She blushed and rushed off making Tsuna feel self-conscious.

“Oh, she likes you,” Iemitsu joked lightly, making Tsuna blush.

“Yeah, okay Dad. Stop it,” Tsuna ruffled his own hair in frustration. “What can I do? About Nono and this whole marriage thing.”

Iemitsu shrugged. “Get a girlfriend.”

Tsuna slouched in exaggerated exacerbation at his father's simple words. “Gee, thanks, Dad. That helps so much,” he said sarcastically.

Iemitsu seemingly ignored him. “Don’t you have someone you like? Or maybe someone who you might like?”

Tsuna thought a moment then nodded. “There is one, but I’m not sure she would be up for it.” Tsuna watched his father stare at him, waiting for the younger Sawada to continue. “We called her ‘Dorm Mom’,” he laughed and averted his eyes shyly. “She was a great person, took care of all of us at the academy, and was really just,” he couldn’t find the right word. “You would like her a lot, to say the least. I kind of think I’m subconsciously comparing her to every woman I meet. She just meets all of my criteria for the perfect Boss Wife.” Tsuna laughed at himself, feeling like he sounded absolutely ridiculous.

Iemitsu nodded in understanding. “I get it, so what makes her so perfect?”

“Ah, well,” Tsuna trailed off and shrugged. “Intelligent, honest, really down to earth, understanding, compassionate, kind. I could probably go on all day,” he laughed at himself again and took a nervous sip of his tea.

Iemitsu just smiled knowingly. “And how long have you been pinning after this one?”

Tsuna gaped at his father. “I have not been pinning,” he grumpily replied. “It’s just, she left a really strong impression.”

“Uhuh,” his father replied with a smirk.

Tsuna felt panic bubbling up in his chest. “She was also really scary, like super scary!” His dame side was coming back out at his father’s pressuring smile.

“Scary?” Iemitsu looked confused. “How can a girl be scary?” He laughed loudly making several in the cafe look at them annoyed.

Tsuna sunk lower into his seat, embarrassed by his father’s gregarious personality. “She could get angry and it wasn’t like with others where they would yell and throw things and you knew it was coming. She would get quiet and stare at you like she was looking into your soul and seeing all the bad stuff and then the room would go cold. Everyone knew when she was mad, but it was always hard to figure out what she might do. Sometimes she walked away, other times she would just dead punch you without so much as a twitch for a warning.”

“Oh damn, that’s nerve-wracking,” Iemitsu said with a look of wary understanding and slight humor.

“One time though, I saw her get really angry and it gave me nightmares for a week straight,” Tsuna shivered. “But her anger was understandable too, so it made me respect her more.”

“What happened?” Iemitsu finally took a drink of his coffee, looking at Tsuna over the rim.

“She had two Rains in her group, one was a non-combatant who was kind of childish but really sweet.” Tsuna took a deep breath and stared at his hands. “We were all in the library just hanging out and doing homework together when one of her Suns came running in crying. Her rain had been attacked and was bleeding really badly. The attackers were there recording the whole thing still and I saw her whole body just,” he paused to gather his thoughts and looked Iemitsu in the eye. “She just stopped. Stopped moving, breathing, blinking. Like her mind froze and her body didn’t know what to do. We all jumped up, ready to go back up her friend, but she stopped us.” Tsuna swallowed.

“She said, ‘stay here and don’t come no matter what you hear’ and she left. We didn’t listen and went and she was so slow about it. It was like she just,” another breath, “mentally checked out and she  _ tortured _ them right there. I watched her smile, this cold and empty smile while they bled out and died at her feet. We got her rain out of there and she didn’t move from that spot for a long time.” Tsuna took a sip of his tea, his hand slightly shaking. “It was the first time I’ve seen it. That thing people call ‘going cold with anger’ and on her, it was the single most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.”

Iemitsu looked uncomfortable. “What happened to her friend and her?”

Tsuna shook his head. “Her friend ended up dying from her wounds and she left the school. I never saw her again.” He looked at his father sadly. “It’s the one reason why I’m afraid to reach out to her.”

“What was her name?”

Tsuna thought it odd his father would want to know but shook off the feeling. “The friend was Elain Clare and her full name was Faye Ross.”

Iemitsu paused and looked at his son with mild confusion. “I think you’ve got that wrong. Faye Ross is the daughter of Donna Caroline, the Lady Boss of the Hidden Valley Kings in the American South.”

Tsuna nodded. “I think?”

“Faye Ross died eight years ago. She was killed by a rival gang.”

Tsuna felt a confusion bubble up in his chest. “She told me her name and my intuition didn’t pick up anything.” His mind was racing and he thought back to when they met, but it was all blurry.

“What did she look like?” Iemitsu took out his phone and began to scroll across the screen.

“Ah, short, curvy but not like she was chubby, just,” he made an hourglass shape motion with his hands, “she had dark brown hair and a light tan. Big brown eyes and a cute nose.”

“You spent a lot of time staring at her, didn’t you?” Iemitsu winked and smiled as Tsuna turned bright red.

“I stare at a lot of people!” Tsuna shrieked. He looked around feeling afraid someone had heard him. “Anyway! She looked mixed, but I couldn’t place it. And she had a slight accent, like something from Spain or Portugal.”

“Well, that puts the Hidden Valley Kings out of the question. If she was from somewhere like Spain or Portugal, she wouldn’t be a part of the Kings.” Iemitsu stared at his phone then smiled. “Ah, is this her?” He asked as he turned his phone to Tsuna.

“Yeah! That’s definitely her,” Tsuna said and stared at the photo.

Iemitsu laughed. “I bet she gave her real name, but you got confused with someone else. Her name is Faleene Ramos.”

Tsuna blinked then dropped his head into his hands. “I feel so stupid.”

Iemitsu patted Tsuna on the head. “It happens to the best of us. It can be hard when so many people share similar names. But,” Iemitsu pulled his phone away and looked through the file. “I’m not sure pursuing her is a good idea. Raised as a civilian, her mother was the mistress of the Boss’s henchman, and she’s from a rival family.” He shook his head and turned off his phone.

Tsuna shifted uncomfortably at the new information. “I see, so that’s how it is.”

Iemitsu nodded sadly. “I’m afraid you’ll need to find another option.”

Tsuna sat back completely frustrated but understood. He still wanted to reach out to her, he’d always admired her for her strength and resilience while maintaining her compassion for others.  _ ‘Oh well,’ _ he thought, melancholy and went back to sipping his cold tea. “Any ideas?” He asked his father as he smiled at the waitress when she returned with their check.

“Go visit your mother, she misses you,” was all Iemitsu said with a small smile as he paid for the check and went on his way.

Tsuna sat there for another few minutes as he thought over his options before he gave up and got ready to leave. A woman came to his table as he gathered his things. She was cute with her black hair cut into a bob style. Sporting pink cheeks and a shy smile she bowed to Tsuna and introduced herself. He only half-listened as she told him how attractive he was and asked if he had a girlfriend. “Ah, no girlfriend.”

She clutched her hands to her chest with a bright grin and looked at him with wide hope-filled grey eyes. “Would you like to get lunch sometime?”

Tsuna felt bad. She was cute, but he wasn’t interested at the moment. “I’m sorry. I’m only in the country for a short while.” He laughed lightly and scratched the back of his head, faking sincerity. He saw her face fall before she recovered.

“Oh, I’m sorry to bother you,” she said and bowed.

Tsuna gave his own bow and shrugged on his coat. “Ah, it’s no problem. I hope you have a good day.” She gave a reply he didn’t hear and made his way back home. He’d have to get started on his pile of paperwork. Sighing to himself he slowly walked back to his car and returned to the rented castle.

When he saw Gokudera walking into his office later that day and scrubbing at his eyes with a disbelieving look on his face, Tsuna began to worry. Walking up to his longtime friend he placed a hand on the taller male’s shoulder and looked behind him. A pretty young Italian woman looked at him with a blush and a look of wonder. She bowed and Tsuna dipped his head at her with a smile making her blush spread and darken. “How can we help you, Miss?” He asked while casually adjusting his jacket. He’d somehow wrinkled it.

“Ah, well,” she diverted her gaze then shyly peeked at Gokudera.

His friend flushed and dipped his head. “Tenth, I wanted to introduce you to her, my girlfriend!” Gokudera blushed a bright red and hid his face in his hands. “There was a mishap and so, uh, we thought.” He stopped when he couldn’t form a coherent sentence.

Tsuna just smiled at his Storm and waited patiently for him to get his thoughts in order.

Taking a deep breath he tried again. “We’ve been together a few months but never got the chance to talk about it and well, I’m sorry!” He threw himself to the ground and began bowing and scraping at Tsuna’s feet.

Tsuna smiled at the woman who smiled back prettily. “What’s your name?”

“Alessa, sir,” she smiled at Tsuna then back at Gokudera. “He’s my treasure.”

Tsuna nodded and waved Gokudera to his feet. “Gokudera,” the mentioned man blushed in embarrassment. “Be careful, okay?”

Gokudera nodded aggressively. “Of course, Tenth!”

Tsuna blinked and nodded slowly. “She has my approval,” he looked at her hard in the eyes. “As long as you’re both happy.”

“Yes, sir,” she bowed again.

“No need for the ‘sir’, we might be family someday. Just call me Tsuna,” Tsuna smiled brightly at her, no longer reserved.

She beamed back at him and turned to Gokudera with the same, but a slightly softer, smile.

Tsuna knew they’d be just fine. Turning away as his phone rang, he left the couple to talk and answered his phone. 

_ “IT’S NOT MINE!”  _ The voice on the other end screamed into his ear before Tsuna could so much as say hello.

“Mukuro?” He questioned.

There was a pause then,  _ “no.” _

Tsuna chuckled quietly. “Then who is this?”

_ “... Ken. Wait, what’s wrong with Mukuro-sama?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM, BASTARD?!” _

Tsuna was sure Mukuro’s subordinate was drunk, or at least tipsy. “I didn’t do anything, but a young woman is claiming he fathered her unborn child. I assumed he was calling to proclaim his innocence.” It was quiet on the other end then a loud laugh.

_ “Of course that kid isn’t his! Mukuro-sama can’t have children. Those damn Estreanos sterilized him!” _

Tsuna took a minute to absorb this new bit of information and sat back down at his desk. “Do you have proof?” There was a scoff and an  _ ‘of course not, Idiot’  _ from the young man. Tsuna sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was already so tired. “Can you try to reach out to him? I can have some of his, uh,” he paused with a cough to cover his embarrassment, “ _ samples _ looked at by a doctor. They’ll be able to tell.” There was no reply, just a click as Ken hung up the phone on him. Tsuna leaned back in his seat and looked over at Gokudera, smiling brightly as he held Alessa's hand. He smiled to himself as he wondered why Ken had even called. Looking down at his paperwork, Tsuna felt his earlier motivations sink like the Titanic. His phone rang again and this time he actually looked at the caller ID.

“Hello?” He said, confused by the unknown number.

_ “It’s Reborn,”  _ was the simple reply.

Tsuna blinked at the husky sound of Reborn’s voice. “Reborn? This is a new number. Are you okay? You sound weird.”

A chuckle on the other end of the line.  _ “Yeah, was running.” _

“Running?!” Tsuna screeched, now worried about his tutor’s safety. “What’s going on?” Tsuna felt panic building and waved over Gokudera who was watching him tensely from the hall. His girlfriend quickly left after seeing the seriousness on both their faces.

_ “Nothing to worry about, Useless Tsuna.”  _ Reborn swallowed to try to soothe his dry throat.  _ “I had a bad run-in with another hitman. I’m not hurt, just out of breath.” _

Tsuna narrowed his eyes at the nickname then sighed at the man’s reassurances. “We share a target with someone?”

_ “Seems like it. He’s from the Valtero Family.” _

The name sounded familiar to Tsuna but he couldn’t place it. “Ally or enemy?”

_ “Enemy. Sometimes.” _

“Sometimes?” Tsuna questioned. “Doesn’t matter, get back here and tell me directly. I don’t know what happened to your phone but this line isn’t secure. Be quick.”

_ “You’re a million years too early to be commanding me, Useless Tsuna. I’ll be back by dawn.” _

Tsuna sighed and hung up. He opened his laptop and began to organize his papers off to the side while speaking to Gokudera. “Look into the Valtero Family. I want as much info as we can get on them before Reborn gets here.”

Gokudera nodded and ran from the room.

Tsuna sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. This was already a long day and now it felt like it was going to get longer. “Will I ever get a break?” He said to no one and went back to finishing his paperwork.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you guys are almost caught up on what I have posted on FF, but I'm starting a new job tomorrow so I won't be able to post as often as I was before. (They got me working 12 hours shifts in the depot -cries-) Anyways, here's part 10. I'm almost done editing the more recent chapters, though I am still writing part 12 and I am hoping beyond hope that I am able to post this Friday, we'll have to wait and see how my schedule looks this week. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one.
> 
> P.S. I have some smut I've written and I'm wondering if I should post it? One is literally just smut, the other is part of another plotline for a different WIP I'm planning, and the third isn't written yet but the notes are finished and it's literally just smut because smut. So, should I?


	11. Chapter 11

She really was dumber than a bag of rocks. Her father was no better. Tsuna idly wondered how in _Hell_ this man sitting before him with his daughter, who was staring into space absentmindedly, ever managed the largest weapons dealing syndicate in Japan. Then he wondered how this man had managed to _survive_ long enough to _reproduce_. He thought he was an idiot growing up, but these two people were just so incredibly dumb it was a God-given miracle they hadn’t been off’d yet. Tsuna felt his brain cells dying at a rapid pace as the man spoke about nonsensical things as his daughter’s mind if one could call it that, wondered. The small bar they sat in was mostly empty, being too early for the business to open, and Tsuna was trying desperately to make conversation with the young woman.

“Where do you go to school?” He asked in a last-ditch effort for conversation.

She stared at him with the blankest look he’d ever seen and nodded. “Locally, and you?”

Tsuna took a moment to think about her answer then almost slammed his face into the tabletop. “What I meant is, which school do you go to? I graduated already.”

“Yeah, I went to high school.”

Tsuna was about to ask to be shot dead right there. None of her answers made sense and she kept drifting off to space. To do what? He didn’t know, but she sure as Hell wasn’t thinking. “Nevermind,” he said and looked behind him to where Reborn was leaning against the wall. His eyes were closed, but Tsuna knew he was more than aware of everything around him.

The Boss dealer, Matsumoto Ida, kept chatting seemingly to himself about weapons shipments and their annual profits, and Tsuna was sure he wasn’t all there either. “Oh, and my Yuko isn’t a virgin so you can be sure she’ll give you an experience you’ll remember.”

Tsuna blinked at the man owlishly, not quite hearing what he just said. “I’m sorry, what?” He heard Reborn chuckle behind him.

“My daughter, she’s _very_ experienced. You won’t need to be worried about her not being able to give you a good time.” Matsumoto Ida smiled brightly at Tsuna.

He was sure he heard that wrong. “Are you- are you propositioning your daughter… To me?” The man nodded and Tsuna was sure he mentally checked out for a solid five minutes. “I-I’m not interested.” He mumbled ‘what even’ under his breath and looked at Reborn who was now peeking at them with a smirk. At least one of them was entertained. Tsuna felt his brow twitch and turned back to the Matsumoto pair. “Ah, I think this has been, uh, nice… So we’re gonna head on our way and I will discuss this meeting with my grandfather.” He stood swiftly and a waitress brought over his jacket. “Have a good day.” Before more could be said, Tsuna nearly bolted from the bar and dove into the waiting car.

Reborn slid in smoothly and smirk at Tsuna next to him. “She was a gorgeous young woman, I don’t understand why you turned down such a generous offer.”

Tsuna spluttered and blushed. “I’m glad you find this funny.” He adjusted his jacket as the car began to move. “That was the single most useless and time-wasting meeting I’ve ever been in.”

“You sat there for twenty minutes before you ran,” Reborn said with a chuckle. “Shortest meeting you’ve ever been in.”

Tsuna scowled out the window. “And you wanted me to endure that circus for longer? She couldn’t even tell me what school she attends!” He ran his fingers through his hair and tugged at the brown locks. “I can’t do this anymore! I know grandpa wants me to get married, but these women! I just can’t handle this and I am so tired of the same old brainless, tactless, and rude individuals who think they can pull a fast one for their own benefit.” He scrubbed at his eyes, feeling as though he could break down into tears at any moment. “I’m so frustrated. I don’t know what to do, Reborn.”

Reborn sighed and crossed his arms. “Tell the Ninth that you want to choose for yourself. At the party, meet and greet the young women there and find a partner for the evening. The ball is only in a few more weeks anyway, I’m sure he can wait.”

Tsuna nodded. “Okay, thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet, Useless Tsuna. You still have to get a woman on your arm for the party.”

Tsuna flinched. “Can’t I just go alone? Wouldn’t it be rude to go dance with a bunch of single women when I have a date already?”

Reborn smirked and nodded. “Good answer. But you already invited a few women to attend, didn’t you?”

Tsuna’s head shot up and he began to panic. “I totally forgot!” He screamed making the driver swerve at the sudden noise. “Sorry!” He said and waved his hands in a placating manner. “I haven’t ordered their dresses or gotten them fitted and I was supposed to get them to the castle for some impromptu lessons in dancing and etiquette. Reborn,” Tsuna turned pleading eyes to the former Arcobaleno.

Reborn heaved a breath and nodded. “I’ll help you, Idiot. Now relax, we’re almost there.”

Tsuna looked out the window to see the small residential area he used to call home and smiled. He was ready to be fussed over by his mother, he’d missed her and had been promising his father he would visit her as often as possible. Since he was really only in Japan until the inheritance ceremony was over, he was going to spend as much time as he could afford with his mother. After this year, he may never see her again or only see her sporadically once or twice a year. When the car finally stopped, his mother and father were standing on the porch waiting for them and waved when they saw the fancy car approach.

“Tsu-kun~!” Nana called as the heir stepped from the vehicle.

Tsuna rushed forward to his mother to be encompassed in her arms and immediately felt relaxed. “Sorry, it’s been a while.”

“Oh, my Tsu-kun is always so busy. What am I to do with the men in this family?” Nana joked lightly and pulled Tsuna into the house as his father greeted Reborn at the gate. Tsuna was seated at the family dining table and hot tea was set in front of him. Nana went back into the kitchen and came out with a small platter of various snacks.

Tsuna couldn’t help the wide smile he gave his mother as she sat across from him. His father sat across from him with his mother while Reborn took the seat beside him. Nana immediately began to fill a plate with snacks for her son and husband while Reborn helped himself. Tsuna took the plate when it was handed to him and took a couple of bites when the gate bell rang.

“I’ll get it!” Tsuna called out before his mother could get to her feet. He darted to the door and opened it to see a very, very pretty young woman on the stoop with a basket in her hands.

“Oh?’ She said and placed delicate fingers against her lips in surprise. “Is Nana-san home?” She asked with a small smile.

Tsuna was struck dumb by the petite young woman before him and nodded. Turning away slightly Tsuna called for his mother inside the house further surprising the young woman.

“Mom? Oh!” She said in surprise then broke into a grin. “Tsunayoshi-san? I didn’t recognize you at all!”

Nana came to the door then, wiping her hands on her apron before smiling at the girl. “Miku-chan! I didn’t know you would be stopping by today.” She slipped on her sandals and went to meet Miku at the gate. “Tsu-kun! Don’t you remember Miku-chan?” Nana said to him over his shoulder. “Oh, Miku-chan, come inside. I’ve got tea and snacks!” Nana clapped her hands together before grasping Miku by the hand and leading her inside.

Miku didn’t even bother arguing, having been used to Nana’s bubbly nature from a young age. “Tsunayoshi-san, it’s good to see you again,” Miku bowed and Tsuna returned it with a dumbfounded look on his face. “Oh, you really don’t remember me! I’m Kobayashi Miku, from next door.”

The realization finally hit Tsuna and he broke into a smile. “Ah! Kobayashi-san, I really didn’t recognize you. You’ve changed a lot,” Tsuna rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

She nodded back at him. “You have to! You’re a lot taller than I remember,” she laughed as she entered the house behind Nana, and Tsuna closed the door.

“Is that all?” Tsuna said jokingly.

She laughed back at him while Nana hid a smile.

“Well, you two can catch up over tea. Come this way, Miku-chan.” Nana intervened and led the two teens to the dining room.

Once seated, Tsuna began asking Miku about her studies and how she’d been since he’d been gone.

“Ah, well…” Miku blushed shyly and looked at Nana as the older woman grabbed her husband by the arm and yanked him from the room, Reborn following with a knowing smile. Miku licked her lips nervously as Tsuna waited patiently for her to continue. “Things were good, I went to Nami High after you left and heard from Kyoko-chan that you’d moved to Italy. You have no idea how surprised I was! To think that you got a scholarship to such a prestigious school. I’m very proud of you, Tsunayoshi-san.”

Tsuna felt heat immediately rise to his cheeks then dipped his head to hide it. “There wasn’t a scholarship, actually. My grandfather paid to have me sent to an academy overseas to toughen me up. He’s raising me to take over his company so I needed the best education.” He began to fidget with his cup, afraid to make eye-contact with Miku.

“That’s great too!” She exclaimed.

Tsuna’s eyes shot up to her and he blushed further. She looked so happy for him as she gazed at him with big hazel eyes. “Ah, thanks? It’s nothing to really be impressed by, but it did help,” He laughed to cover his embarrassment.

“But it is impressive, Tsunayoshi-san. You’re not Useless Tsuna anymore, you should be proud,” Miku blushed at him as he smiled gratefully at her. “You should have more confidence in yourself.”

Tsuna scratched at his cheek and averted his eyes as an awkward silence fell between the two.

“You know,” Miku said after their pregnant pause. “I had a crush on you for most of middle school.”

Tsuna choked as he gasped, completely taken by surprise. “Eh? Really?!”

She nodded at him shyly. “I still kind of do, it’s awkward to say.”

Tsuna began to shake his head. “It’s not awkward at all. Uhm, thank you. I’m flattered.”

She began to fidget in her seat before looking up at him to see a blush and wavering smile on his face. “Would, um, you like to go out sometime?”

Tsuna stiffened at her words and swallowed nervously. “I- Uh, sure. Yeah!” He felt giddiness rise in his belly as he gazed at Miku. He found a small mole on the side of her nose and couldn’t help thinking it was cute.

She beamed at him as he answered and hid her face in her hands. “Oh my God! I’m so happy!” She squealed slightly muffled behind her hands.

Tsuna watched her with his blush growing before taking her hand from her face. “So, where would you like to go?” Thinking a moment he realized something. “Ah! Your phone number, can I have it?”

She nodded vigorously and pulled out her phone, handing it to him. “Put your number in mine and I’ll put mine in yours.”

Tsuna nodded and the pair exchanged phones and numbers before a calm, and still slightly awkward silence fell over them again. Reborn chose that moment to walk in and bother the love birds.

“Tsuna, we need to head back. Your grandfather is bothering me relentlessly already.”

Tsuna pushed back from the table and rose from his chair. “Ah, of course. Thank you, Reborn.” Turning to Miku he bowed his head and smiled at her. “It was nice seeing you, Kobayashi-san. I hope to see you, maybe this weekend?”

She nodded again, a bit more shyly this time, and also rose from her seat. “I would love that. You can pick the time and place. Oh! And call me Miku.”

Tsuna felt his smile fight to turn into a grin but shoved it down. “Thank you, Miku-san.” He bowed again and left the residence with Reborn. Tsuna could hear his mother squeal in excitement at Miku as they left, a big grin from his father beating on his back.

While they drove away, Reborn sat smirking at Tsuna from the seat beside him. “Happy?” He asked the still blushing young man.

Tsuna nodded and couldn’t stop his grin anymore. “Kobayashi Miku has been my neighbor for a long time. She was one of the few people who didn’t call me Useless Tsuna.” He chuckled to himself as Reborn listened. “I just remember her as a slightly dorky girl with these big thick glasses and braces, so it’s hard to match the two together. She’s really changed a lot.”

“And she had- has a crush on you. Sounds like a real winner,” Reborn said with a sigh. “But, she’s a civilian. Do you want to drag her into the mafia, or do you want to keep her out of it?”

Tsuna sighed with a frown. “I would never want my partner to be involved with this mess, but realistically that can’t happen.”

“So what will you do, Tsuna?”

Thinking quietly, Tsuna watched the cars pass as they entered the highway that would take them north to the manor they were staying at. “A few dates won’t kill anyone. If I feel like there’s a connection, I’ll tell her the truth. If she wants to run away, I won’t stop her.”

Reborn nodded. “A wise decision. What will you tell the Ninth?”

Tsuna grumbled under his breath until Reborn smacked him. Rubbing his head he glared at the older male before sighing again. He was sighing a lot these days, wasn’t he? “I’ll tell him the truth. I met a nice young woman and I’m seeing where it leads. I’m just gonna try to not give him too many details about it.”

“Good. Now, what will you do about Roman Nevrus’s daughter?”

Tsuna looked at him curiously. “Um, nothing? Why?”

Reborn rolled his eyes. “You have a date with her too, Moron.”

“Wha-?! Since when?!”

“Since you told Nono you wouldn’t mind getting to know her.”

Tsuna paused as he thought back then remembered the conversation he had with his predecessor after their meeting with the small-time crime boss and his daughter. “Shit!” He exclaimed and scratched his head. “When do I have to do that?”

“Tomorrow night.” Reborn watched Tsuna relax then tense again. It was almost comical how the boy swapped from his old behaviors to his Boss facade with a flip of a switch. A good thing to be able to do, but it would be best if his Boss facade was the real deal and his true personality. While it wasn’t a complete failure, according to Reborn, it could still be inconvenient but his personality wasn’t a threat to the power he would soon hold. It was inadvertently an asset.

“Alright,” Tsuna said as he set his shoulders and Reborn saw his Boss facade fall into place subconsciously. “What else do we need to prepare for?”

Reborn shook his head. “Other than the ball, that is less than a month away, there is nothing else.”

“Alright, when we get back I’ll call Gokudera and the three of us will get started on sorting things out for the girls. Can you get a hold of that old bat with the riding crop?” His eyes belied his nervousness though his face was set like stone, his eyes narrow and his jaw clenched.

Reborn smirked and nodded at his student. “Of course. There’s no better instructor in the whole of Italy.”

The rest of the ride was spent in relative silence as Tsuna contemplated his upcoming dates and the ball. He was sure he was in for one hell of a ride, but he would face them all head-on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will be slow because of my new job. I'm working 8+ hour shifts Monday thru Friday and 10+ on Sundays. I'll let everyone know through my Twitter if I'll be updating that weekend or not.  
> Also, this chapter marks the end of catching up with my updates on FF. Hope you guys enjoy it. :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, Buttercup! This is gonna be a long one :D

Yamamoto Takeshi, the Vongola Decimo’s Rain Guardian, was being pursued by a girl.

Normally this wouldn’t be a problem for the nineteen-year-old man, but he was almost certain this girl was crazy. Many of the women he’d met were sweet, kind, sometimes shy, or flirtatious and he pursued them in return most of the time. He was a bit of a notorious flirt but was never one to go too far and hurt their feelings. But this girl was different. All he’d done was smile at her and she suddenly went on a tirade about wedding color schemes and what they would name their children.

He ran. She chased.

He ran further. She somehow kept up with him.

He said he wasn’t interested. She stole his car.

She was absolutely batshit crazy and Yamamoto had no idea how to escape.

He was currently in a predicament of how to get rid of her and had gone to Tsuna for help. He’d been stealthy in approaching his boss, but she somehow knew where he was. At. All. Times. And he was starting to fear, just the smallest amount, for his safety. He’d made it to Tsuna’s office, unfortunately with the girl at his heels, and with the way she was currently looking at his friend and boss, he started to fear for Tsuna’s safety as well. Too bad the naive, sweet, brunette boy couldn’t tell as he smiled softly at the angry red-head that stood between them.

Tsuna still had a false belief that most women were harmless, tender maidens who needed to be protected. And it was about to bite him in the ass. He smiled tenderly at the young woman who glowered in return before feeling a stinging pain in his nose.

She’d punched him.

Tsuna had pulled back just enough to avoid severe damage but she’d made enough contact for it hurt just the slightest bit. Yamamoto watched in horror and shock as his boss staggered back a step, a shocked and confused look on his face. Yamamoto wasn’t sure what the heir had done, but somehow he’d ticked off the crazy woman enough to earn a blow to the nose. There was no blood, just a slight redness to the bridge, and Tsuna sniffling a bit with watery eyes. He wasn’t crying, just an after effect of being hit where he was. He was about to jump forward and apologize but was caught off guard when Tsuna laughed.

“That’s a good right hook you’ve got there,” he said with a beaming smile.

Yamamoto watched, impressed, as the girl slowly relaxed at the charismatic smile. Somehow the boy had a talent for disarming then recruiting people who once wished him harm. Varia, the Shimon Family, and even a recent addition of a small-time English gang to name a few. And normally Yamamoto would be happy to have these new additions to their ever-growing Famiglia, but this girl was a huge no-no. Stepping forward, Yamamoto bowed to his longtime friend.

“I’m sorry about her, Tsuna! I’ll take her out and have a talk,” Yamamoto straightened and gave Tsuna a look. His friend gave a close-eyed smile and nodded his understanding as the Rain led the girl from the room.

Tsuna went back to his desk and plopped into his seat before he laughed softly to himself. “Poor Yamamoto looks like he got shackled by a clingy one.”

When he finally came back, Tsuna was still at his desk rifling through various expense reports. He looked up to see his Rain Guardian entering looking tired and disheveled. Yamamoto gave a tired, half-hearted smile as he sat down before Tsuna’s desk. His head dropped into his hands before running them through his already mussed hair. Tsuna watched him with a calm and patient smile as his friend finally sighed and looked at him.

“She’s crazy.”

Tsuna nodded.

“Really crazy.”

Tsuna nodded again.

“Please, for the love of God, save me.”

Tsuna couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him but he nodded all the same. “Anything for my friends.”

Yamamoto gave him a relaxed yet still tired smile at Tsuna’s bubbly laugh and sat back. “Last week, she chased off another girl I was talking to. We weren’t even flirting, just a pleasant conversation as I ordered a cup of coffee. Then she followed me home. I’ve tried everything to get her to back off, but she’s convinced we’re getting married.”

Tsuna stared bug-eyed and twitched nervously in his seat. _‘So she’s not just clingy, she’s being territorial.’_ He almost laughed again but managed to just smile pityingly. “Well, I’m not too sure how I can help, but I’ll do my best. Maybe we can bring Chrome in to use her illusions to twist her fancy onto someone else?” Tsuna was mostly talking to himself and leaned back with a hand to his chin, thinking.

Yamamoto opened, then closed his mouth with a sigh and shake of his head. “Won’t work. I asked Chrome and she said, and I quote, ‘I don’t mess with crazy. That’s how people die’.”

Tsuna snorted then hastily covered his mouth with a hand to muffle the sound. “Sorry,” he said seeing Yamamoto look at him with lost hope. “Uh, then, well…” He was at a loss. With no way to think of a way to help his friend, Tsuna just shrugged.

Yamamoto’s shoulders slumped. He leaned forward in his seat and rested his chin on his palm looking like a kicked puppy. They sat there for a while, Tsuna eventually going back to paperwork as he tried to solve his friend’s conundrum in the back of his mind when Yamamoto suddenly jumped from his seat and slammed his hands on the desk.

“I’ve got it!” Yamamoto yelled excitedly as he looked at Tsuna with a glint in his eyes.

Tsuna swallowed nervously. “Uh, got what?” He shouldn’t have asked.

“You,” Yamamoto smirked mischievously.

“Uh, me?” Tsuna was sure he could see his life flash before his eyes.

“Yep! You, Tsuna! I need you to charm her.” Yamamoto gave his friend a beaming, toothy grin and Tsuna felt a cold finger run down his spine.

He shivered. “Um, I? Uh, what?” He felt like a holy light had entered his office when the door was suddenly slammed open by a heavy foot.

“Useless Tsuna!” Reborn called, his right hand held a thick manilla envelope, his left occupied by Bianci’s hold.

Tsuna’s hope was immediately dashed as Reborn immediately noticed how Yamamoto leaned over his desk with a wide smile and shining eyes. “Tell me,” he said without hesitation.

Tsuna could feel his tutor’s and friend’s sadism swell as they locked eyes. “Yamamoto is having trouble with a girl-”

“I need Tsuna to steal her attention!” Yamamoto cut him off cheerily.

Bianci’s attention was caught by the conversation and she let Reborn’s hand go to approach the desk with a smile. “Having romantic troubles, Takeshi?”

Yamamoto laughed and rubbed the back of his head shyly. “Well, yeah. She’s kind of nuts.”

“This is the mafia, Yamamoto. Everyone is kind of nuts,” Reborn said as he lay the envelope on Tsuna’s desk.

Tsuna picked it up curiously and inspected it for some kind of trap before opening it. The conversation continued around him as he inspected the contents with furrowed brows. Not paying attention to his surroundings, would be his downfall this time around.

“Then it’s decided. Alright, Tsuna?” Reborn said, noticing the young heir’s inattentiveness.

“Yeah, sure,” he said without thinking. Realizing he’d agreed to something he wasn’t aware of, he looked up at his tutor curiously. “But, what exactly?”

Reborn gave him a twisted smile that had Tsuna panicking immediately. “Don't worry about it, I’ll handle it.”

Tsuna felt sweat at the back of his neck as his tutor’s smile turned dark and unholy. “Oh no-”

“Yamamoto, come with me. We’ll discuss the details in my room. Bianci, you’re with Tsuna.” Reborn said and turned to the door.

Tsuna floundered and tried to get his tutor’s attention, but he was out the door with Yamamoto hot on his heels.

“Sorry, Tsuna!” Yamamoto called as he closed the office door behind his retreating back.

Tsuna looked at Bianci and felt his heart drop into his toes at the look on her face. She had that dreaming look in her eyes that she always got when she tried playing matchmaker. He felt the sweat at his back building. “Um, Bianci?” He asked nervously, effectively cutting the woman from her daydreaming.

“Right, we need to get started immediately.” Bianci clapped her hands together and pulled out her phone to start typing on it.

Tsuna was so confused as he stared at her now serious expression. “Um, Bianci? What do you mean, by getting started? Getting started on what?”

She ignored him until she turned towards him, shoving her phone in his face. “You’ve seen her, what color would she like best?”

Tsuna blinked at the images on the screen as realization dawned on him with horrifying clarity. “WAIT! BIANCI!” He screeched and jumped back, crashing to the floor on his butt with a squeal. “NO WAY! PLEASE NO WAY! I DON’T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS!” He crawled back as she followed him until his back hit the bookcase along the wall.

“Oh, it’ll be fine. Just cooperate. What does she look like? I’ll pick it out myself,” she said and began scrolling through the images of wedding dresses.

“No! No way in Hell!” Tsuna desperately fought against what was going to be the worst decision of his life. If he helped Bianci, he may end up marrying the woman that punched him only hours earlier, if he didn’t he may just have a chance to get away from all this craziness. But no luck, as Bianci fixed him with a look that clearly said ‘you don’t have a choice’ and Tsuna felt all his hopes for a peaceful life with a beautiful woman he loved to go down the drain. “AGHH!” He yelled while viciously mussing his own hair.

Bianci simply continued to ignore him and scroll through her phone.

And to top it all off, he still had a date with the Nevrus girl.

When the day was finally coming to a close, Tsuna returned to his room to find Reborn waiting for him. The hitman was older than he was years before, he now stood tall, broad, strong and Tsuna watched him with suspicion as he entered his room. He trusted the man, but Reborn was first and foremost a Hitman, and Tsuna was not one to forget.

Reborn sat at a small table on the balcony, a cup of steaming espresso before him, and a cup of tea waiting for Tsuna. The hitman tilted his head to the side, showing an attractive profile as he waited for Tsuna to join him at the table. He noticed the heir’s wariness and smirked, proud of what the young man had become while simultaneously mourning the loss of the innocence that was once there. The happiness Tsuna once showed when he saw Reborn was replaced by suspicion and while Reborn was glad of it, he also missed how close they once were. He removed his hat and motioned for Tsuna to take the seat across from him.

Tsuna smiled almost sadly and began to unbutton his cuffs and jacket while shaking his head. “Didn’t you tell me, more than once, that a Boss doesn’t sit when told? A Boss sits when he wants to and is the one making the other sit.”

Reborn quirked a brow, it was an old lesson, but one that had stuck obviously. Tsuna was quick to follow Reborn’s instructions, once upon a time, and now he was growing into his own. He was proud. He would never say it out loud. “Very good, Tsuna. At least some of my lessons are sticking.”

Tsuna shrugged off his jacket and pulled his tie free before sitting across from his tutor at the intimate table. He was still tense as he observed Reborn take a sip of his coffee. “What nightmare are you pulling me through now, Reborn?” He asked sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. Tsuna picked up his cup of hot green tea but didn’t drink. Instead, he waited for Reborn to speak as the meeting was clearly wanted by him.

“Is it not the responsibility of the Boss to watch out for his people? Keep them happy and safe?” Reborn watched Tsuna nod, still wary of him. Reborn smirked again. “Then you won’t mind our plan to rid Yamamoto of a certain young lady’s company?”

Tsuna sighed and refused to answer, choosing to finally sip at his tea.

Reborn sighed and shook his head. “The plan is for you to chase her off, not for you to win her over. Press her as aggressively as she has pressed your Guardian, that’s all.”

“And you think that’ll work?” Tsuna asked incredulously.

Reborn nodded with another sip of coffee. “Absolutely. A young woman like that is guaranteed to be scared off by an aggressive advance. If they can dish it, they can never take it. Remember?”

Tsuna nodded his understanding. It was a common phrase he’d heard throughout his lessons and experiences with older mobsters. Sighing in resignation, Tsuna looked out beyond the balcony and to the setting sun. “What do I have to do?”

Reborn felt his pride swell. Tsuna had certainly grown and with the way he was looking out at the purple sky, he knew he was no longer as needed as he had been. Leaning forward, he spoke of his plans while Tsuna smiled mechanically. “What’s wrong?” Reborn finally asked after the third robot nod from Tsuna.

Tsuna leaned back, the picture of careless ease, and looked away with a grim expression. “I don’t like the idea of messing with a girl’s feelings.”

Reborn snorted. “That’s not it, is it?”

Tsuna shook his head, his mouth twisting almost painfully. “It’s just if Grandpa hears about this, who’s to say he won’t push it? He’s so desperate to get me hitched and I’m just scared of his reaction. Reborn I-” Tsuna ran his hands through his hair with a sigh.

Reborn took a moment to look over the young man that was still very much a teenager and chuckled. “I see, you’re worried he’ll make you marry her regardless.”

Tsuna nodded. “I just know he’ll be too happy to see me pursuing a woman aggressively like your plan has me doing.”

“So what is it that you want, Tsuna?” Reborn watched the boy slouch and made a mental note to correct that later.

“I just want him to stop breathing down my neck and pushing so hard. It’s just making me want to not find a partner at all.” Tsuna laid his head down on the wrought iron tabletop and closed his eyes. “And he has to criticize my decisions every time I turn down one of his ‘suggestions’ and then get mad when I find a girl I actually like. It’s like I’m fighting a losing battle.”

Reborn watched Tsuna quietly as the boy continued to brood with his head down before turning to look over the scenery before the balcony. The forest was quiet, save for the calling of a few birds and the chirping of crickets, and the setting sun set it all awash in various shades of pink, purple, and gold. He took a sip of his espresso before returning his attention to Tsuna. “So tell him that.”

“I did,” Tsuna replied. “He said he would sell my hand if I didn’t choose someone asap.” He groaned as he slowly pushed his head up and rested his chin on his crossed arms. “He said he wouldn’t enjoy it, but he’d do whatever necessary to ensure the survival of the Family. I guess that means Primo’s bloodline by extension as well.” He watched Reborn nod in understanding. “But Dad said,” he paused as he watched Reborn quirk a brow at him in surprise. “He said that I’m the one who really gets the final say. Grandpa would do anything to keep me happy because I’m the one who is going to determine the future of this Family. So, I don’t really know what to think about everything and how I want to deal with it.”

Reborn looked mildly troubled as he gazed at his student with sharp eyes. He’d enjoyed it when he was having a hard time, but the stress he was under now was not something he could enjoy. “Well, Iemitsu is both right and wrong. Especially if Nono is already threatening to arrange your marriage.”

Tsuna grimaced and coughed. “Well, what do you think?”

Reborn didn’t answer. Opting to instead turn away and watch the last bits of light dance across the leaves of the trees. The lamps along the building’s exterior and the walls lit up one by one, casting the gradually darkening property in soft yellow light.

Tsuna realized the hitman wasn’t going to give him an answer and sighed in defeat. “Alright, Reborn. I’ll do what you want and deal with the consequences later. I’m going to shower and head to bed. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.” He pushed up from the table as Reborn continued to sit and watch the now dark forest.

“How did your date with Nevrus’ daughter go?” Reborn asked suddenly, making Tsuna stop mid-step.

Tsuna sighed and shook his head. “She’s… Weird.”

“Weird how?” Reborn turned his gaze back to Tsuna.

“Just,” Tsuna was at a loss for words as he thought back to the very strange date he’d had just an hour earlier. “She’s a bit, how should I say it, eccentric?”

Reborn smiled to himself. “An example would be?”

“Strong, negative feelings about K-Pop for some reason I still don’t understand and obsessed with pink; her entire outfit today was a very bright, almost neon pink. The clothes were so frilly I was worried it was going to swallow her whole. And when she sat down and the ruffles blocked her face.” Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

Reborn choked on his coffee. “Okay.”

“Okay? That’s all you’ve got for me?” Tsuna asked with a twisted grimace on his face. “You do understand that normal people don’t wear clothes that literally _eat_ them in front of you?

Reborn just shook his head with a smirk.

Tsuna gave up after that and continued on his quest for a shower. Gathering his clothes from the walk-in closet, he turned one last time to see Reborn had returned to watching the scenery while Tsuna entered the bathroom. He didn’t hear what Reborn muttered quietly to himself as the door clicked closed.

Tsuna sat with Yamamoto on a bench in the garden as they discussed their plans to get rid of his admirer, laughing to themselves as they joked about the girl’s possible reactions. They turned their heads sharply as they heard footsteps approaching and saw said young woman approaching them with her chin up. Tsuna immediately felt the air around her breathing nothing but haughty condescension as she stopped before them.

She stared down at Tsuna for a solid three seconds before smirking and redirecting her attention to the Rain Guardian. “My Love, I have wonderful news!”

Yamamoto and Tsuna looked at each other nervously.

“My father has approved. Our wedding will be next Spring. Isn’t it exciting?” She gazed down at him with shining eyes as she delivered the news. “We’ll do a lovely chocolate fountain and a sponge cake and-”

Yamamoto stared incredulously at the girl. “I- What even? Since when?” Yamamoto was at a loss for words as the girl continued on her daydreaming tirade.

Tsuna sat there shocked as the girl suddenly turned angry. “What is wrong with her?” Tsuna asked as he turned to Yamamoto disrupting her spiel about pink carnations.

“What is wrong with me?!” She yelled at Tsuna before turning her attention onto Yamamoto. “YOU PROPOSED!” She shrieked in his face.

Yamamoto recoiled and held up his hands in defense. “I never proposed. I’m way too young to be getting married. And honestly, I don’t even know your name.” He tried to laugh off her growing hysterics but she kept on.

Tsuna deadpanned at his friend as he realized he too did not know the woman’s name. “Um,” he tried to interject but the woman wouldn’t stop to breathe.

“You spineless spineless coward! Dragging me on like this! You should be ashamed of yourself! How dare you try to weasel your way out of a commitment! You promised we would be together forever and this is how you end up treating me!”

Tsuna tuned her out as he watched his friend grow red with slowly mounting anger. Not wanting him to explode on someone he thought was seriously mentally ill, Tsuna rose to his feet and grasped the girl gently by her upper arm. “Why don’t we take a break. Come with me and we’ll get you some water. I’m sure this was all just a misunderstanding.” Tsuna gave her a disarming smile that shocked her into following him away from a seething Yamamoto.

Taking a seat under a nearby gazebo with a pond nearby, Tsuna let the ‘bride-to-be’ sit for a moment as he watched the Koi swim in lazy circles. The fish noticed him as he knelt by the water and reached to run his finger along the back of one bright orange, black, and white Koi that was almost as long as his arm. The fish let him touch it then circled back for more and he indulged it.

“Aren’t they slimy?”

Tsuna turned towards the voice to see the ‘bride-to-be’ was looking at him with a dejected look as she rested her chin on the back of her closed fist. Her elbow was on the table as she watched him with sad eyes. “No, they’re not. They’re actually smooth, like marble.” He smiles when she scoffs. “They can be very friendly fish if they get enough positive attention. They like to be pet too, like any cat or dog would.”

She gets up slowly, her eyes are red-rimmed and swollen from her crying and she kneels down beside Tsuna. She watches as the same fish swims under the touch of his finger, again and again, the other fish copying and being pet by the solitary digit piercing the surface. She copies him, but places only her fingertip in the water and braces as the fish begin swimming up to get a touch from her as well. She squeaks in surprise when the first one touches her finger and yanks her hand from the water.

Tsuna can’t help the laugh that escapes him and covers his mouth to try to stop the sound further. He sticks his finger back in the water without sparing her another glance with a soft smile. “You know,” he says gently, not wishing to make her upset with him. “Yamamoto is a good guy, but he really isn’t ready to settle down. I’m not saying this to try to separate you two, but because you don’t deserve to get hurt over someone who isn’t ready to commit.”

She watches him warily from the corner of her eye as he swirls his finger in the water for the fish to chase in a small circle. “Why do you care?” She saw him frown.

He huffed a breath and shrugged. “I probably shouldn’t, but I have a tendency to care about everyone and everything. Even when they don’t want me to.” He smiled again. “I’m a notorious worry-wort, according to my tutor.” He stood up and offered her his hand.

She took it slowly and he walked her back to the gazebo where they sat down next to each other on the bench. He released her hand and she sighed to herself. “I’m in love with him.”

“How can you be in love with someone you don’t know?” Tsuna gazed at her curiously.

She stared back at him. Their eyes holding each other in a silent battle of wills before he smiled that disarming smile again. She felt her heart jump and she looked away. “I just do.”

“But really, how can you?” Tsuna gave her a pointed stare. “Don’t you have to know something about them first? Doesn’t there need to be a reason _why_?”

She chewed on her lip, not wanting to admit he was right. She watched him as he readjusted his sitting position to lean back on the bench, an arm draped over the back, and looked out over the garden. She mapped the contours of his face and noticed how the sun seemed to glow softly when it touched his cheekbones. His angular face was appealing, strong, and smooth with a jutted chin followed by the long column of his throat. She didn’t know how long she stared, but at some point, he noticed and turned to her with a close-eyed smile and she was immediately blown away.

She found Yamamoto to be attractive, no doubt about it, but it was different from what she found in Tsuna. She averted her gaze and began to fidget with her fingers, the familiar feeling of her heart beating in her throat, threatening to choke her. This was more sudden than even she was used to, having watched Yamamoto for several weeks before allowing her crush to truly take hold of her. She felt his eyes on her as she tried desperately to ignore the weight of his gaze. He was so intense she felt herself drowning in his presence.

Tsuna watched as her breath hitched and she turned further away from him. He assumed she felt some semblance of shame from his earlier questions. Looking away from her silhouette, he watched a pair of birds grooming each other in a tree a little ways away. He smiled to himself as he watched the pair, most likely a mated pair. He noticed she turned to look at him again but didn’t pay her any mind until he realized she had leaned over to stare at him closely. Turning, they locked eyes, soft hazel meeting blue-green, and stared at one another for several moments before he finally noticed the blush dusting her cheeks.

_Oh no._

_Oh, no no no nonononononono._

He began to panic. He had somehow, inadvertently, of course, caught her affections and had no idea what to do now. No girl, none, should fall for a guy as easily as she did. The panic began to claw its way up his throat and his air was restricted to slight gasping as his heartbeat pounded painfully in his chest.

She mistook his sudden panic for her similar reaction of attraction and smiled. Leaning forward more she noticed him stiffen as she lightly, oh so lightly, traced her lips over his. When he didn’t push her away, she assumed it meant he didn’t mind and pressed further. It was another light brushing, firmer than the first with a more solid connection between lips, but still not quite a kiss.

Tsuna had no idea what to do. His mind and his body had frozen at her actions. Silently he prayed someone would come and end the moment between the pair. Anyone. Literally anyone.

“Tsunayoshi-san?”

Okay, maybe not anyone.

His female companion had pulled away at the sudden intrusion and was hiding her face behind her thick red curls.

He looked up into the big, bright hazel eyes of Kobayashi Miku.

_Oh God, anyone but her._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for your support. You can find updates on all of my works on my Twitter @Maya0953


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